Mexico will spend $115 million to deal with smelly seaweed that has plagued the Caribbean on an unprecedented scale this year and left hotels to clean beaches and cut rates. The tourism industry welcomed the move but called for more long-term planning on environmental fixes.
Sargassum, a brown algae, has washed up in droves in the Caribbean in recent years after initially emerging in the region in 2011. This year is shaping up to be the worst on record.
A moderate amount of sargassum in the open ocean contributes to a healthy ecosystem and is a habitat for birds and marine life. When it washes ashore and decomposes, it releases hydrogen sulphide gas — and a distinctive rotten-egg smell — which attracts flies, deters swimmers, and suffocates shallow coral reefs and seagrass.
The uptick in sargassum is generally put down to warmer ocean temperatures, a result of climate change and nutrient pollution, both of which boost algae