Record quantities of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed are inundating beaches along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, disrupting tourism and raising environmental concerns, according to officials and researchers speaking in late July. Authorities in Quintana Roo, home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, project about 119,000 tons of sargassum will reach shore by the end of the year, surpassing last year’s 96,000-ton record. The decomposing seaweed produces a strong odor and has forced some beach closures, hurting hotels, restaurants and shops. Mexico’s federal government is preparing an emergency response plan, while beach workers struggle daily to clear accumulating seaweed from the Riviera Maya shoreline.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.