Arrival of Sargassum Seaweed is Inevitable, But Forecast Predicts Less This Year
经过Jessica Montevago/
Mexico and other Caribbean coastal towns are gearing up for the eventual arrival of sargassum, a brown macroalgae floating on the ocean surface that has plagued beaches and tourist destinations. This year, though, forecasts predict there will be less of the stinky seaweed than in the previous two years.
According to theUniversity of South Florida’s “Outlook of 2020 Sargassum,“与以前的布卢姆(Bloom)年(2015、2018; 2019; 2019; 2019年和2019年)相比,西部大西洋中部的萨尔加斯(Sargassum)数量仍然很低。在墨西哥湾(GOM),佛罗里达海峡和加勒比海中,萨尔加苏姆仍然很少。
该报告预测,加勒比海可能会在2月至3月遇到适量的萨尔加苏姆,而某些较小的安提斯群岛(包括巴巴多斯,多巴哥和瓜德罗普)可能会在他们的迎风海滩上遇到一些小至中等的海滩活动。这种情况可能会持续到春季。
预计海藻将于4月,5月和6月开始到达,然后在夏季晚些时候出发前往另一个赛季。
根据里维埃拉·玛雅(Riviera Maya)的新闻报道,Sargassum的监测预测和Playa del Carmen的预测还显示出可能达到Quintana Roo Shores的数量大幅下降。州长卡洛斯·约阿金(CarlosJoaquín)表示,包括海军秘书处在内的环境机构估计,与2018年和2019年相比,今年的萨尔加斯姆量将较低。
但是,州长仍在为任何确实带有船只和障碍物到达的萨尔加苏姆(Sargassum)准备,旨在将其拆除,然后再撞到任何海滩。他说,今年,该州配备了其他船只,这些船将在不同的目的地中使用,包括Xcalak,Mahahual,Playa del Carmen,Puera del Carmen,Puerto Morelobeplay银行卡s,Tulum和BenitoJuárez(Cancun)。
州长告诉媒体,有米ore than 4,000 meters of containment barriers to be placed in the most heavily affected regions, with the most extensive (1,800 meters long) being placed in Mahahual and Xcalak.
“我们海的蓝色又回来了。选择金塔娜·鲁(Quintana Roo)度假的游客将在最佳状态享受海滩。”州长华金说。
Mexican officials were concerned the influx of rotting seaweed in some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, from Tulum to Playa del Carmen to Cancun, would cause a dip in tourism, which contributes 8.7% to Mexico’s gross domestic product and is worth about $23 billion annually.
Other Caribbean islands, too, were concerned about the impact the seaweed would have on their vital tourism industries. In June 2019, officials from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, as well as Mexico and other Central American countries, gathered to discuss options in battling the new phenomenon. Proposals included funding more research and better warning systems.
The first mass beaching was spotted in 2011, and contributing factors are believed to be nutrient inputs from the Amazon River, which discharges into the ocean around where blooms were first spotted; changes in ocean currents; and increased iron deposits from airborne dust.
In addition to being an eyesore and nuisance for tourists, sargassum mats suffocate the reef and surrounding ecosystems, resulting in the death of fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and crabs.
根据南佛罗里达大学光学海洋学实验室的科学家的说法,2018年在加勒比海的卫星照片中发现了1000多平方英里的海藻,比2015年的纪录大三倍。那年太糟糕了,巴巴多斯被迫在6月宣布全国紧急情况。