This is Not Normal; Peninsula Takes on Sargassum

from The Placencia Breeze September/October 2018

by The Placencia Chapter of the BTIA

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Page 25

THIS IS NOT NORMAL; Peninsula Takes on Sargassum

By JOLIE POLLARD Editor in Chief The Placencia Breeze pollard.jolie@gmail.com

We really do hope that by the time you have picked up the printed copy of this newspaper, the stench of decaying sargassum has disappeared, and the nightmare of this near-apocalyptic invasion that hit us just before press time is all gone. This is not normal. Yes. We have seen sargassum flotillas charge their way into our beach before from time to time, so much so that we've tried appreciating the value sargassum can hold as a floating nursery for some marine life and birds, but no one can recall seeing anything of the magnitude that hit the Peninsula's coast on Aug. 30, 2018. No one is talking about letting this one take its natural course. Not this time.

The theories posed by scientists suggest that the blame may fall upon fertilizer runoff from the world's rivers, waste dumping from cruise ships, abnormally high temperatures, unusual wind changes in the Atlantic ... and the Placencia Peninsula is not the only place being hit. San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is dealing with this, and so are beach destinations in Mexico and some island nations of the Caribbean. The bloom this year is being considered the worst on record.

So, what is the Peninsula doing about it? The Placencia Village Council held an emergency meeting on Sept. 1 calling community members to help. Placencia residents have been lending hands, rakes, workmen and even heavy duty machinery and trucks. Volunteers are trying their best to bury the compact decaying sargassum under the beach sand. When fresh, it disrupts a swim and aesthetics, but the hydrogen sulfide it releases when rotting is not totally harmless. Please follow our Breeze Facebook page for updates. ▪