CANCUN — Sargassum season along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, once fairly limited at its peak to the summer months, could continue into early October, according to Quintana Rooʻs environment minister.

“It will depend on winds, currents and tides,” Minister Oscar Rebora told Reuters.

As reported earlier this month, the state of Quintana Roo, home to Cancun, Tulum and the Riviera Maya, spends upwards of $2 billion annually dealing with the massive mats of free-floating brown algae that wash up on shore.

To date the three hardest-hit Mexico destinations have disposed of 105,000 metric tons of sargassum this year, according to Reuters. The 2025 total for the entire year was 92,783 tons. Authorities estimate 2026’s total could reach 119,000 tons.

Other destinations that grapple with sargassum include Barbados, the D.R., Guadeloupe, Martinique, Anguilla and southeast Florida.

Last year Quintana Roo’s Governor Mara Lezama announced plans for a facility to convert the tons and tons of sargassum into biofuel. IATA notes that the potential use of sargassum as part of a future sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain could turn a Caribbean challenge into a strategic opportunity.