Unprecedented Sargassum Seaweed Crisis Impacts Caribbean Tourism and Economy
The Caribbean tourism industry is grappling with an unprecedented seaweed crisis. Massive quantities of sargassum are swamping beaches across the region, compelling hotels in Mexico and other destinations to slash prices by up to 40%. This is according to data released this week by the University of South Florida.
The University’s monitoring data reveals that nearly every region of the Caribbean and Gulf reached record-high levels of sargassum in May 2026. Scientists are warning that these volumes are likely to surge further in June, potentially making 2026 the worst year since monitoring began in 2011. Hotel occupancy rates in Mexico’s Quintana Roo region—known for popular destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum—have seen a significant drop year-on-year, with early May 2026 figures considerably lower than 2025.
The brown macroalgae, notorious for its rotten-egg smell and toxic hydrogen sulfide gas it releases while decomposing, is causing both environmental and economic repercussions. Research by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution estimates that Florida alone loses around $5 billion annually due to the impacts of sargassum. The seaweed obstructs sunlight from reaching coral reefs and seagrass beds, creates hypoxic conditions for marine life, and necessitates hotels to undertake costly daily cleanup operations.
Rising sargassum levels are associated with climate change, warming ocean temperatures, and nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff, particularly from the Amazon River Basin. Local authorities are implementing containment measures and barriers, but scientists caution that the crisis is likely to escalate. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt—a 5,000-mile floating patch visible from space—is continuing to expand.
Source: Skift