Puerto Morelos is getting ready to expand its ocean defenses against sargassum.

Town leaders are seeking expanded anti-sargassum infrastructure for the 2027 season, as part of broader federal and local efforts to increase barrier coverage along Quintana Roo’s Caribbean coast.

This protective shield will help keep local beaches clean and safeguard the nearby coral reef.

A Growing Barrier at Sea

The town already has more than six kilometers of marine barriers in the water. Puerto Morelos has continued installing and expanding anti-sargassum barriers, although the exact amount added most recently should be confirmed by municipal records.

Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz explained that the goal is to combine public barriers with hotel systems to create one solid line of defense.

The Mexican Navy, known as SEMAR, will work alongside resort owners and municipal workers. The Mexican Navy, municipal crews, and hotel operators are expected to coordinate barrier deployment and beach cleanup across public and hotel areas.

The coordinated system is intended to reduce gaps in coverage and limit the amount of sargassum reaching the shoreline.

Natural Reef and Sea Defenses

Puerto Morelos already benefits from a unique natural advantage. Puerto Morelos’s offshore reef, part of the Mesoamerican Reef System, can act as a partial natural barrier and may deflect some floating sargassum before it reaches the beach.

Even with this reef shield, the coast faced heavy arrivals in past years. Beach crews collected thousands of tons of sargassum during the previous