Since late 2014, the Mexican Caribbean coast has periodically received massive, atypical influxes of pelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso). Negative impacts associated with these influxes include mortality of nearshore benthic flora and fauna, beach erosion, pollution, decreasing tourism and high management costs. To understand the dynamics of the sargasso influx, we used Landsat 8 imagery (from 2016 to mid-2020) to record the coverage of sargasso in the sea off the Mexican Caribbean coastline, with a maximum reported in September 2018. Satellite image analysis also showed local differences in the quantity of beached sargasso along the coastline. Over the years, good practice for collection on the beach and for off-shore collection of sargasso have been established through trial and error, and the Mexican Government and hotel industry have spent millions of dollars on removal and off-shore detention of sargasso. Notwithstanding, sargasso also has various properties that could be harnessed in local industries. The stimulation of local industrial growth would offer alternatives to the dependence on tourism, as a circular economy, based on sargasso, is developed.

中文翻译：

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远洋马尾藻的大量涌入。墨西哥加勒比海岸 2014-2020：挑战与机遇

自 2014 年底以来，墨西哥加勒比海岸定期接收到大量非典型的中上层马尾藻流入。（马尾藻）。与这些流入相关的负面影响包括近岸底栖动植物群的死亡、海滩侵蚀、污染、旅游业的减少和高昂的管理成本。为了了解马尾藻流入的动态，我们使用 Landsat 8 图像（从 2016 年到 2020 年年中）记录了墨西哥加勒比海沿岸海域马尾藻的覆盖范围，其中最大的报道是在 2018 年 9 月。卫星图像分析还显示沿海岸线搁浅马尾藻数量的局部差异。多年来，通过反复试验建立了在海滩上收集马尾藻和在海上收集马尾藻的良好做法，墨西哥政府和酒店业已花费数百万美元去除和离岸扣留马尾藻。尽管如此，马尾藻还具有多种可用于当地工业的特性。随着以马尾藻为基础的循环经济的发展，刺激当地工业增长将为依赖旅游业提供替代方案。