Cancun has removed nearly 32,000 tons of sargassum in 2026; Quintana Roo totals 123,000
The figures were presented at an international conference in Cancun with officials from the European Union, the Caribbean and Mexico's environment ministry; an even larger Atlantic bloom is projected for 2027.
The municipality of Benito Juarez (Cancun) has collected nearly 32,000 tons of sargassum so far in 2026, about 17,000 more than in 2025, while statewide Quintana Roo has collected 123,000 tons this year, according to figures presented on October 1 in Cancun at a European Union–Caribbean conference on the seaweed, the municipal government reported.
The numbers
According to data shared at the meeting, attended by some 350 people from 45 countries:
- Benito Juarez 2026: nearly 32,000 tons collected.
- Quintana Roo 2025: 92,782 tons; 2026 to date: 123,000 tons.
- Reported state cumulative total: 324,140 tons.
- Atlantic: 38 million tons in 2025 and 60 million in 2026, with 80 million projected for 2027.
- State spending: the Quintana Roo government reported 765 million pesos invested in addressing the problem.
Participants included Mayor Ana Paty Peralta, Governor Mara Lezama, Myriam Ferran of the European Commission's international partnerships directorate, Dominican Republic Environment Minister Armando Paino Henriquez, and Jose Luis Samaniego Leyva, Mexico's deputy secretary for sustainable development (Semarnat).
Mexico has a National Strategy on sargassum with five pillars: scientific research, collection, integrated management, regulation and reuse. The mayor said the municipality will keep working with the state strategy and federal support.
What it means for Cancun
With an even larger Atlantic volume projected for 2027, sargassum will remain a challenge for beaches, tourism jobs and coastal cleanup. Municipal collection this year is nearly double last year's volume.
What you can do
- Before going to the beach, check the state government's sargassum traffic-light map to choose less affected beaches.
- Avoid handling decomposing sargassum without protection and limit time near large piles because of the odors.
- Report buildups on public beaches through the municipality's official channels.
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