The stated goal of the HMB Sargassum Project is to create a “Sargassum Free Zone” along Half Moon Bay by using a sargassum barrier to deflect approximately 70% of incoming sargassum so that beachfront property owners can more affordably manage the remaining 30% or so of “Residual Sargassum” that still reaches the shore in front of their lot.

This report compares project objective with outcomes actually achieved during our first year of operations. It details how the project was developed in accordance with government guidelines (as confirmed in this Aviso from SEMARNAT) and explains why we’re confident the HMB Sargassum Project can create a Sargasso Free Zone along Half Moon Bay in 2024…and beyond.

Although the barrier was installed three months after the start of Sargassum Season, we achieved Five (5) Key Successes and gained much needed hands-on experience in addressing each of the challenges that set us back. In fact, the most important section of this report details the concrete measures we’ve already put in place to ensure that NONE of these Five (5) Challenges set us back again in 2024.

Barrier operator, EcoProteccion Akumal (EPA) is now fully prepared for the 2024 Sargassum Season and has put a plan in place that dovetails exactly with directives in an important new government publication titled “A Comprehensive Strategy for the Management and Use of Sargassum” (referred to in Spanish as “EIMAS”). The main work that remains in 2023 is to engage as many HIZ property owners as possible in a commitment to:

PAY affordable monthly invoices for EPA’s 2024 barrier operation service

FOLLOW EIMAS government guidelines in managing any “Residual Sargassum” that might get past the barrier

Before EPA can re-install the barrier in 2024 we must be prepared to pay their invoices throughout the year, including under dangerous weather conditions that might suddenly require an emergency removal. To ensure we’re ready for the next Sargassum Season, the HMB Sargassum Project will spend the remainder of 2023 in garnering firm commitments to contribute towards EPA's Projected Operating Expense from as many beachfront lots as possible.

Our investment of over USD $400,000 is ready to bear fruit in 2024 and there is no other alternative sargassum mitigation plan on the horizon. The HMB Sargassum Project represents Akumal Norte’s last best chance to create a “Sargassum Free Zone” along Half Moon Bay.

Five Key Achievements

Although the HMB Sargassum Project did not meet our project goal of making Half Moon Bay a Sargassum Free Zone in 2023, we did demonstrate that deflection barriers can work and, over time, were able to conduct real-world testing on strategies to overcome the challenges we faced during our first year of operations. We also created the institutional infrastructure to ensure the long-term success of the project. Our five key achievements include:

Proof of Concept
Reduced Sargassum Buildup
Skilled Professional Staff
Collaboration with Government Agencies
Expenses Below Budget

Achievement #1 - Proof of Concept

Our most important success, of course, was demonstrating the efficacy of deflection barriers. As soon as it was installed, the 600 meter “Main Segment” of our HMB Sargassum Barrier began deflecting significant amounts of sargassum away from Half Moon Bay. As long as the EPA operations team kept the barrier taut and positioned within the northerly current outside the reef, sargassum got naturally deflected out to the open ocean or towards the northern headlands where wave action macerated it against the rocky shore.

Tulum is now using the same deflection barriers for sargassum mitigation as the HMB Sargassum Project. The municipality has launched a new initiative called “Tulum Against Sargassum” that relies on a variety of technologies, including diversion barriers just like ours. Here's how Tulum’s new barriers are described in a September 14th article from the Cancun Times:

“The idea is that by using an extensive at sea barrier system (like the bumper rails in 10-pin bowling) sargassum will be successfully diverted to outgoing currents that will naturally drag the algae out to the open ocean.[...though] it must be stated that none of these technologies alone will catch 100% of sargassum.”

For a detailed photo diary showing the performance of our deflection barrier over the 2023 season, please visit the Barrier Effectiveness Photo Album.

Achievement #2 - Reduced Sargassum Buildup

A quick comparison of beach photos from this year and last makes clear that even after a late installation and despite a malfunction in the connecting segment, the barrier DID significantly mitigate sargassum buildup on the beach:

PHOTO FROM JULY 2023

A beach with buildings and trees

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PHOTO FROM JULY 2022

A beach with buildings and a body of water

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We have real-world proof that following these Beach Cleaning Guidelines makes it possible to manage a reduced amount of incoming sargassum without hiring outside beach cleaning services. For the entire month of July 2023, property managers for Lots 50 to 52 assigned in-house maintenance staff to engage in only an hour or two of DAILY beach cleaning. The photo below shows how the barrier had reduced the volume of incoming sargassum enough that in-house staff had no difficulty keeping the beach clean without the help of outside service providers. On the right side of the picture you can see the border of the neighboring property, and the differences between performing daily beach cleanup and not doing so.

A sandy beach with a body of water

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Achievement #3 - Skilled, Professional Staff

The HMB Sargassum Project had the foresight to establish an independent Mexican non-profit called EcoProteccion Akumal or “EPA” to handle all barrier operations. Under the leadership of Project Manager, Ivan Penie (click to see his resume), EPA staffed up quickly and did a superb and professional job managing barrier installation and maintenance. Ivan’s professional training as a marine engineer with experience in coastal management and sargassum mitigation made him the ideal person to head EPA. His staff had the professional expertise to analyze and address the many (expected and unexpected) challenges that Mother Nature threw at them. They also used a wide range of technologies to cut costs and improved data collection including drones, underwater scooters, A.I. Sargassum mapping, GPS Buoys, and bathymetric depth sounders. This Daily Activity Log details their work.

The entire EPA staff stands ready to return for the 2024 season, as long as the community approves and commits to cover the operating expenses detailed in EPA’s 2024 budget.

Achievement #4 - Collaboration with Mexican Agencies

EPA Project Manager, Ivan Penie, serves on Ivan is listed as an EIMAS consultant on page 7 of the publication and thanks to his engagement, we are confident that EPA’s operations and environmental practices now dovetail exactly with government directives and goals for sargassum management in 2024….and beyond.

In October 2023, Ivan submitted required project reports to government agencies including CONANP, the Capitania in Playa del Carmen and SEMARNAT. As detailed in this recent Aviso from SEMARNAT, EPA now has the green light to proceed with updated project plans in 2024.

Ivan’s participation in the EIMAS working group might also provide future opportunity for EPA to provide sargassum monitoring services for a few to local government entities which, in turn, might help cover some of EPA’s overhead and operating costs, thereby reducing the expenses that EPA must invoice to beachfront property owners.

Achievement #5 - Expenses Below Budget

The HMB Sargassum Project budgeted $375,000 for the manufacture, shipping and deployment of a new sargassum barrier outside the reef of Half Moon Bay. As detailed in the financial section below, we came in slightly under budget for this initial effort. At the end of May 2023, when we transitioned from the Installation Phase to the Maintenance Phase of the project, we had expended only $354,145, which left a surplus of about $20,000 that we were able to transfer to an account managed by EcoProteccion Akumal (EPA) for covering barrier operating expenses.

EPA originally projected operating expenses of $52,500 for the shortened 2023 season but, through the smart use of technology and careful management, they managed to keep expenses through November 2023 to less than $43,000. Close control of day-to-day expenses is only one of the many benefits that comes from having set up our own Mexican non-profit to operate the barrier. Maintaining full administrative control of EPA has allowed the HMB Sargassum Project to create a truly nimble, cost effective and competent barrier management effort.

NOTE: When the community originally began exploring the idea of installing a sargassum barrier, a Sargassum Committee was set up to look into contracting with an outside service provider at a set monthly expense. But outside service providers with multiple clients simply cannot provide the focus and attention that a complex project like this requires. Please see the “Project Budget” section for further notes about the benefits that have arisen from our decision to set up our own Mexican non-profit to manage barrier operations.

We very much appreciate the owners of the properties in the HIZ that funded the operating expenses from the time the barrier was installed in the form of monthly payments, allowing us to continue operations. Of course, we will need commitments from the community to fund the $90K a year required to put the barrier back in the water during the 2024 sargassum season.

Five Challenges to Overcome

Because the barrier was delivered well AFTER sargassum had already arrived on our shores, we began the year behind the eight ball. Additional challenges meant the barrier was not performing at top efficiency until July which led to excess sargassum sloshing around inside the barrier for many months. EPA has analyzed each of the following challenges and done real-world testing on how to prevent each one from recurring in 2024:

Early Start to Sargassum Season
Environmental Unknowns
Malfunction of Connecting Segment
Failure to Communicate about Beach Cleaning
Rumors & Community Conflict

Challenge #1 - Early Start to Sargassum Season

The 2023 Sargassum Season began much earlier than usual, well before the new barrier was slated for delivery. By mid-March, the beach on Half Moon Bay was already smothered in huge mounds of rotting sargassum and the bay water had already turned a sludgy brown. Obviously, a deflection barrier cannot have any impact on sargassum that’s already beached or floating inside the bay. So the first challenge we faced in 2023 was the “Legacy Sargassum” that arrived in the bay before the barrier did.

In 2024, Legacy sargassum will be a non-issue

because the barrier is ready for re-deployment as soon as Sargassum Watch satellites

show that sargassum infestations are headed our way.

Challenge #2 - Environmental Unknowns

Although EPA Project Manager, Ivan Penie, pulled together a team of skilled marine professionals with strong technical expertise, it still took them time to master local currents and surf conditions and to analyze all the different ways that sargassum can get under, over and around a barrier that’s set so far out in the open ocean. In the initial weeks a fair amount of sargassum continued to enter the bay via leakage, breaching, deviation and submergence but by July the team had the barrier performing at top efficiency.

EPA staff now has hands-on experience in wind & surf conditions
and know how to quickly apply the optimum combination of give & tension

to keep the barrier performing at top efficiency in 2024.

Challenge #3 - Malfunction of Connecting Segment

A third issue we faced in 2023 arose from an unusual aspect of the original barrier design. It called for a “Connecting Segment” that was anchored to the rocky shoreline in front of Bush Park. Unfortunately, this “Connecting Segment” couldn’t withstand the harsh conditions inside the breaking surf. From the moment the Connecting Segment was installed, EPA observed significant breaching (sargassum being washed over the barrier by strong waves).

In fact, most of the sargassum that entered the bay in the month of May came over this Connecting Segment. And when the “Connecting Segment” was removed in June, even more sargassum continued entering the bay from the south. It wasn’t until the Main Segment of the barrier was extended southward that the massive inflow of sargassum from the south was halted.

In 2024, the southern barrier extension will be part of the initial deployment,

and will do the same excellent job of deflection that it provided at the end of the 2023 Sargassum Season.

NOTE: We recognize that the newer, southern extension sits close to the shore and is visible from properties along the southern headlands. If we are to have any chance of preventing the ecological disaster that sargassum has brought to Half Moon Bay, this configuration is necessary. We ask that impacted property owners keep in mind how very critical it is to the health of our reef to keep the sargassum out of the bay, The Mexican Government has identified sargassum infestations as an environmental disaster that must be dealt with. We urge the entire community to come together on this, and recognize that a sick, polluted Half Moon Bay will ruin Akumal Norte for everyone – not just the owners in the High Impact Zone.

Challenge #4 - Failure to Communicate about Beach Cleaning

A key element of the HMB Sargassum Project is DAILY management of the “Residual Sargassum” that gets past the barrier. The HMB Sargassum Project team made a tactical error in waiting to send out reminders about beach cleaning until after the barrier was properly configured and performing at top efficiency in deflecting at least 70% of incoming sargassum.

In retrospect we should have published these Affordable Beach Cleaning Guidelines well before the 2023 Sargassum Season started. By the time the barrier was installed, the 2023 Sargassum Season had been in full swing for nearly 3 months and beachfront property owners had given up on beach cleaning. Their decision to completely disengage was understandable. When each new day brings deposits of 5 to 10 cubic meters of new sargassum to the federal zone beach in front of each lot, beach cleaning quickly becomes a daunting, nearly impossible task.

Unfortunately, by waiting to talk about beach cleaning until July when the barrier was finally deflecting a large percentage of incoming sargassum, we failed to effectively engage with many owners who were no longer on-site in Akumal Norte. It should be noted, however, that when owners did engage in beach cleaning, the results were very positive. The photo below, for example, shows a few properties (on the right) that assigned their in-house maintenance person to do only about one or two hours a day of beach cleaning. As you can see along the red line, these properties all had relatively clean beaches compared to their neighbors.

To prepare for the 2024 Sargassum Season the HMB Sargassum Project

will improve communications and training for the property managers

who are directly responsible for deploying workers to clean the beach.

NOTE: The HMB Sargassum Project is now exploring how we might help beachfront property owners achieve significant economies of scale towards their beach cleaning budget by hiring a single service provider to dispose of any Residual Sargassum that accumulates along the entire federal zone beach. Although the plan is still under development, initial projections indicate that a single outside service provider could keep the entire beach clean by working from 6:00am to 11:00am each morning for a cost of about $4,000 to $5,000 per lot for the entire 2024 Sargassum Season.

Challenge #5 - Rumors & Community Conflict

Some neighbors in Akumal Norte voiced concern that the barrier might cause unintended environmental damage. The HMB Sargassum Project took these concerns seriously and set a goal of raising $100,000 in “Sustainable Financing” that could be used to monitor and mitigate any possible environmental impacts. Although we have not yet reached this fundraising goal, we did deploy EPA staff to conduct careful monitoring of the four issues below. On three of these issues careful observation showed no measurable impacts and with a fourth issue there were two minor incidents that were immediately rectified and reported to SEMARNAT.

In July 2023, a community survey conducted by Vecinos de Akumal Norte found that a 71% majority of respondents were in favor of using a deflection barrier to mitigate sargassum infestations….unless it were proven that barriers are ineffective against sargassum or harmful to turtles. So the HMB Sargassum Project invested significant resources in tracking these issues and here is what we found:

Turtle Nesting Behavior

There was concern that nesting turtles might not be able to get past the barrier to reach the beach. Although turtle nesting seemed to start later in 2023 than in previous years, by the end of August 2023 nesting stats had surpassed stats for the previous two years. In addition, no impact on nesting behavior has been detected at other nesting sites along the Q.R. coastline where sargassum barriers have been installed. And, as detailed in this study, some marine scientists argue that it may actually be sargassum build up that prevents nesting.

A graph of growth in the year

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Safe Egress for Turtle Hatchlings

There was significant concern that hatchlings might get trapped along the barrier and become easy prey to birds and fish. But testing with GPS flotation devices showed that northerly currents were very likely to carry hatchlings towards the wide opening at the northern end of the barrier that was specifically designed to allow hatchlings to make safe egress from the bay. And daily excursions by EPA staff along the barrier early each morning found no evidence of any baby turtles trapped in the netting.

Damage to Coral Reef

The possibility exists that parts of the barrier anchoring system might come loose and get pushed onto the reef by currents and surf action. In fact, on two occasions there was some minor reef damage caused by these chains. In the first instance, a new staff person misunderstood instructions for properly connecting a chain. And, in the second instance, chains were not fully secured after the barrier was removed.

Both issues caused very minor damage to a small section of nearby coral…. but nothing on the scale of the sort of comprehensive damage caused to the entire reef when huge mats of rotting sargassum block sunlight and release toxic hydrogen sulfide gasses into the water. More importantly, damage reports on both instances were immediately reported to SEMARNAT and new checklists were put into place to ensure procedures include a “doublecheck” to prevent incidents like these from happening again.

Excess Accumulation of Sargassum on the Southern Headlands

The HMB barrier installation plan takes advantage of the northerly offshore current that flows outside the reef for deflecting sargassum northward. But there was always a possibility that reality might not match plans and we wanted to be sure that the barrier did not unintentionally cause excess sargassum to build up along the southern headlands. Therefore, we carefully monitored sargassum accumulations along the southern headlands both before and after the barrier was installed.

The photo below shows sargassum accumulations in March 2023 (before the barrier was installed). Similar quantities of beached sargassum were not noted, even after the southern extension was added. Clearly the southern extension keeps sargassum away from the bay without adding to the sargassum buildups that have been naturally occurring along the southern headlands for many years now.

A rocky shore with a body of water and buildings

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March 2023, BEFORE the barrier was installed.

Given that unfounded rumors about the barrier seem to cause community conflict,

the HMB Sargassum Project will improve outreach in 2024 to HOA presidents

and other associations for assistance in publicizing the facts above.

Project Budget

Overall Budget Goals vs. Actual Expenses

The HMB Sargassum Project was conceived of as a two pronged project:

using a sargassum barrier to deflect at least 70% of incoming sargassum, and
relying on beachfront property owners to manage any remaining sargassum that might get past the barrier and reach the shore

The project budget did not include the cost of managing the reduced amounts of sargassum that would still reach the beach after the barrier was installed because our goal was always to make beach cleaning more affordable for the beachfront property owners who were already paying to remove sargassum every season.

In the meantime, funding for the barrier itself was generated in two phases and budgeted as follows:

Phase 1 - $375,000
This amount represents the one-time expense for manufacturing & testing a custom-designed sargassum barrier. These funds were raised as charitable contributions to a US based non-profit called the Yucatan Environmental Foundation (YEF) that issued tax-deductible receipts for all donations received. Phase 1 fundraising came from nearly 100 people, only 72 of which actually own property in the HIZ, which means there are many community minded people in the wider community of Akumal Norte who understand the importance of addressing this environmental disaster. Details about the donors who pledged to support the project are published on the HMB Sargassum Project website. We were able to keep costs down to approximately $354,000, and were able to transfer the surplus to Phase 2.

Phase 2 - $90,000 / year

This amount represents projected annual operating expenses to keep the barrier performing at top efficiency for an entire season. Since the barrier was installed well after the season was begun, operating costs were estimated to be $52,500 for 2023. Thanks to EPA’s smart use of technology, careful staff management and a shorter sargassum season than expected, actual and projected operating expenses through the end of November are just under $43,000 and it appears we’ll be ending the year within budget.

Operating Expense revenue is collected by EcoProteccion Akumal, the Mexican non-profit corporation established to handle barrier operations. EPA invoices were issued only to beachfront property owners directly impacted by sargassum infestations (the High Impact Zone, or HIZ). In 2023, 69% of impacted beachfront property owners accepted and paid invoices from EPA and their payments generated nearly $25,000 in revenue for EPA.

We are very pleased that both Phases of the initial project came in below budget. We still expect the 2024 season to require $90,000 in funding, as detailed in the financials below.

NOTES:

MAR fees refer to the Mexican Non-profit we used to collect donations in pesos. This allowed us to collect donations while we waited for EPA to be allowed to do so. This can take up to one year in Mexico.
YEF fees refer to the American non-profit corporation we used to collect donations in US Dollars. This allowed us to collect tax-deductible money before EPA was authorized to do so
Expenses listed are mostly (but not always) paid in pesos, depending on the type of expense and the source, and converted to this spreadsheet using averaged exchange rates to dollars for clarity.

EPA’s 2024 Projected Operating Budget

EPA’s Projected Operating Budget for 2024 is published on our website and copied above. Although EPA did successfully hold operating expenses to about $43,000 in 2023, this was due in part to the fact that the barrier did not get installed until halfway through the year. In 2024, operating expenses are likely to come in at the projected amount of $90,000 for the full 2024 Sargassum Season and will include the following services:

Barrier transportation to Akumal and installation
Monitoring and maintenance of the barrier during the sargassum season
Removal and re-installation for one adverse weather event
De-installation at the end of the season and transportation to the storage facility
Rent and security for the barrier storage facility
Fixed and miscellaneous expenses incurred during the off-season

EPA needs firm commitments that beachfront property owners are prepared to pay for annual operating expenses BEFORE they can begin installing the barrier. And, given that the SaWs Sargassum Watch service is predicting another early start to the next Sargassum Season, EPA must begin issuing monthly invoices no later than 1/15/23.

It would be irresponsible to have EPA install the barrier in January if we’re unprepared to pay their invoices throughout the season, including under dangerous weather conditions that might suddenly require an emergency removal.

There are 29 lots in the High Impact Zone (10 owned by one individual). If each of these lots commits to paying their fair share of barrier operating expenses, the monthly cost per lot will be affordable for all. The HMB Sargassum Project has added a new page to our website where property owners can sign up to make monthly payments towards EPA Operating Expenses and calculate the amount of the monthly fee based on the number of participating lots. Obviously, the more lots participate the lower the monthly costs will be. We would, of course, like everyone to contribute, but the cost of not acting until 100% of the community is on board is too great. Our beach, reef and water need action right now.

A Note About Changing Approaches to Purchasing and Operating Expenses

The Sargassum project has been in the works in Akumal for at least 7 years. Much research was done and plans started to take place a few years ago. Original financial plans included collecting the money for the on-going operations upfront by contracting with a single-service provider that would provide us with barrier install/removal services and maintenance, and that would quote us one price for the entire year or even five-year life of the barrier. This approach would have ensured we would have hard and fast numbers for long term planning. Unfortunately, we ran into issues with this approach because,

No acceptable company was able to provide these services within our budget. The original company we had been in discussions with could not demonstrate the stability and resources needed, and no other entity appeared that could provide us with what we wanted either in anything close to a budget that we could manage.
We felt this solution wouldn’t have given us the flexibility and agility we needed to make sure the net was deployed or removed quickly in the event of adverse weather. By establishing EPA, we’ve been able to bring the solution “in house”, so to speak, and hire our own project manager and crew. This approach allowed us to keep things under closer control, conduct on-going technical “tweaks” to the deployment plan, and to have the agility we needed. It has also allowed us to save a great deal of money. This has all turned out to be very true, and we couldn’t be happier with the choice we made to hire Ivan Penie and his crew.

The downside of this, unfortunately, is that we haven’t known nor been able to communicate with the community exactly what the costs would be, and the resultant confusion and lack of concrete information communicated to the contributors has become a political negative for the project. As such, we are dedicated to increasing our communications and assuring the community of the transparency and competency this project is committed to. We would also remind the community of the thousands of man hours spent by the committee members to make this happen, as well as our own personal funds, and that nobody is committed to making this work more than we are. These man-hours spent have resulted in a project that has come in significantly under all budget expectations when this project was first conceived.

We are also aware that the committee had originally set the goal of raising an extra $100,000 of financing for a contingency fund and for sustainable financing, and that some people were told that the original purchase included the entire first year’s operating expenses. The committee wishes it could have raised all the funds for the purchase, installation, operation and contingency funds up front, but there were too many people in the community that took a “wait and see” posture without contributing. It was felt of critical importance that we demonstrated the efficacy of the barrier so that those people could feel better about contributing down the road. Because of this, we proceeded with the purchase and installation of the barrier, but we do need another season to fully demonstrate its effectiveness. To do that we need continued community financial support.

Alternative Fundraising Initiatives

The HMB Sargassum Project will seek additional sources of funding in 2024 and, if successful, will supplement the project’s contingency funds and/or reduce the monthly fees invoiced to participating HIZ property owners. Our first option involves procuring government funding and the second involves setting up a GoFundMe page so family, friends and renters can show their support for protecting Half Moon Bay from the ravages of sargassum infestations. Other avenues of alternative financing will continue to be explored.

Government Contracts

EPA Project Manager, Ivan Penie, is a participant in a government working group known as EIMAS that’s developed a coordinated sargassum mitigation for all of Quintana Roo. There is a possibility that this work will lead to opportunities for EPA to provide sargassum monitoring services to some local government entities which, in turn, might help cover EPA’s overhead, thereby reducing the expenses that EPA must invoice to beachfront property owners.

GoFundMe

Once 2024 funding commitments have been made by the owners in the HIZ, we plan on launching a GoFundMe account to generate community involvement and awareness. It is not expected that this will significantly impact our bottom line, but any monies generated will be used to supplement the contingency fund that will allow us to pay for adverse events, such as more than the one hurricane event currently budgeted for.

Conclusion

The HMB Sargassum Project stands ready to implement our goal of deflecting sargassum from the beach and water of Half Moon Bay in 2024. We have put in thousands of man-hours researching, designing, collaborating, and implanting this barrier solution. Other communities all over the Riviera Maya, and indeed the Caribbean, are implementing similar barrier solutions. Other communities are looking to Half Moon Bay as an example of a community-based effort strongly rooted in research and technological competence. We have the knowledge, desire, and structure in place to be an example for the region for sargassum management. What we need to continue, however, is continued support from the Akumal Norte community, both financially and conceptually. It is our hope that a successful sargassum mitigation strategy will bring our community together and prevent ecological disaster for our beloved Bay.