Thousands of tonnes of rotting sargassum seaweed have piled up on the beaches of Tulum and across Mexico's eastern coast throughout the state of Quintana Roo. The growth of sargassum is said to be a consequence of the use of fertilizers and agrochemicals, as well as deforestation, which leads to a flow of chemical and organic waste into the Amazon River and then into the Atlantic Ocean. The effluent injects a large volume of nutrients and nitrogen into the sea, leading to the mass growth of the seaweed.
