As a long time visitor to Akumal, and now a happy property owner, we have watched with dismay the onslaught of sargassum and the ruination of out beautiful Half Moon Bay. Regardless of the cause, the effects of climate change are impacting the enjoyment of the area, not to mention the economic impact to the community. Our future plans will let us spend more time in Akumal than currently, so we were glad to see Vecinos discussing the sargassum problem and the barrier project that is intended to mitigate it.  The division this has caused in the community was a surprise however, and wonder if lack of information contributed to it.

It was my understanding that part of the barrier was removed mid-June and just recently became fully operational, which would have hindered the performance of the barrier during that time. Perhaps this was not widely known and contributed to the misunderstanding that the barrier is not working.

Because Vecinos has repeatedly pointed out they take no position on the viability of the barrier, it would be of tremendous help to those of us not in Akumal if they would report regularly, maintaining their non-bias position, on the sargassum/barrier progress in Half Moon Bay. The many questions I have include: 

How long will the barrier be in place and has the configuration been finalized; how much sargassum is already inside the bay and on the beaches; does the barrier prevent new sargassum from entering or causing accumulation elsewhere; are there barriers working effectively elsewhere in the Riviera Maya; what effect on turtles/hatchlings if any.

A continued reporting on the project would allow me, and I’m sure other part-time owners, to be kept abreast of this most important situation. Thanks in advance for considering my request.