Sargassum Invasions in Mexican Caribbean Coast (MCC): Public Perspective on Health, Tourism, and Environmental Challenges

Mass blooms and beaching of Sargassum spp. Since 2011 has deteriorated the Mexican Caribbean Coast quality beyond the limit. Despite several studies addressed the direct impact of Sargassum, the potential health risk from Sargassum in Mexican Caribbean Coast (MCC) remains scanty. To address the knowledge gap, the findings of this study highlight the significant socio-environmental impacts of Sargassum influxes on the Mexican Caribbean Coast based on the public perspectives using questionnaire survey. The results indicated that female respondents report higher sensitivity to Sargassum- related impact markedly health effects such as respiratory discomforts and skin disorders. Additionally, a significant proportion of respondents observed changes in tourism and their significant economic losses. This study further explores the relationship between Sargassum beaching and its socio-environmental consequences, highlighting the gendered variation in perception. While economic impacts were highly recognized by male respondents, the environmental and health related concerns were more prevalent among female respondents. These findings emphasize the need for targeted mitigation strategies that include air quality monitoring, public health interventions and sustainable Sargassum management programs. Henceforth, addressing these challenges requires integrated approaches that consider both ecological and social interventions for implementing adaptive management policies to foster long term resilience on Sargassum impacts.