HMB Sargassum Project
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Up and down the Riviera Maya, beaches like Half Moon Bay (HMB) are periodically inundated with huge mats of rotting sargassum. As these mats pile up on the shore, the stench of decaying seaweed and the hordes of buzzing flies are impossible to ignore. But the impact of these sargassum infestations goes far beyond a few ruined beach vacations. Beached sargassum wreaks havoc on the environment, on human and marine health, on tourism, and on local economies. This article from the Washington Post presents the magnitude of the problem very clearly: WaPo article
The sargassum invasion is here to stay.
Doing nothing about it IS NOT an option!
HMB Sargassum Project
The HMB Sargassum Project was started in 2019 by a group of North Akumal neighbors seeking a solution to sargassum infestations. Our research soon indicated that installing a commercially proven sargassum barrier outside the reef in Half Moon Bay would be the most environmentally sound and cost effective way to mitigate the local problem. We also realized that failing to ACT QUICKLY would wreak havoc on local marine life and could cost North Akumal as much as nine million dollars over 5 years in increased costs and lost revenue.
We launched this website to explain:
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WHY we recommend the immediate installation of a seasonal sargassum barrier over other possible solutions and
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HOW the project will benefit all members of our community, not just property owners who are directly impacted by sargassum on their beachfront.
Our goal is to raise 70% of the upfront installation cost from property owners in the High Impact Zone (HIZ) along the central and southern end of Half Moon Bay. We seek the remaining 30% from other friends and neighbors who care about the marine life and pristine beaches that make our community such a unique and special piece of paradise.
The HMB Sargassum Project operates as a non-profit environmental organization. Funds raised via this website will be used for the initial manufacture and installation of an environmentally sound sargassum barrier. All donations place on this website are fully tax deductible. After a barrier has been installed, ongoing maintenance expenses WILL NOT be handled through this website but, instead, will be invoiced directly to property owners in the HIZ. In other words, we seek community-wide support only for the initial purchase of a sargassum barrier. Ongoing maintenance costs will be handled solely by property owners in the HIZ.
We’re in this together.
Community support is critical to our success!
Please use the links below to learn more about the project or act now to protect Half Moon Bay with your financial support:
