An enormous mass of sargassum seaweed is expected to make landfall on the beaches of Quintana Roo within the next 24 to 48 hours, according to information gleaned from satellite images.

Obtained by the Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of Southern Florida, the images show a huge sea of sargassum that is predicted to land on the entire Quintana Roo coastline.

Strong easterly winds are helping drive the brown algae ashore.

Marine biologist Estaban Amaro warned that the sargassum could be expected through June, threatening the region’s tourism-based economy.

“All of the models and satellite images that we have been downloading predict that we are going to see a lot of sargassum arrive in the next few weeks, and not just in April, but also in May and June. We’re going to have at least three months of a lot of sargassum, which will obviously have an important impact on the tourism industry in Quintana Roo.”

Source: El Financiero (sp)