AsianScientist (Jul. 21, 2011) – A bizarre overgrowth of bright green algae called Enteromorpha prolifera has overrun the waters of Qingdao No.1 Beach in Shandong Province, Eastern China.
The algae bloom is 70 meters wide and 100 meters long, according to China Daily. The patch is only a minor part of a 410 square km green algae in the Yellow Sea that is estimated to invade the beach in two days, according to the North China Sea Branch (NCSB) of the State Oceanic Administration.
Although the algae is not poisonous and harmless for water quality, the plankton blankets the water surface and blocks light to deeper-dwelling sea life. It also consumes large quantities of oxygen, suffocating marine animals.
Rotten algae also emits a foul smell, potentially impacting tourism along the affected shoreline.
While several residents find the algae pesky, others are happy to swim in the algae-infested waters. Some children have even described the algae as “soft green grass”.
Researchers still do not know what has caused the outbreak, although they suspect it is a result of climate change in the area.
“We don’t know where it originated and why it’s suddenly growing so rapidly,” Professor Bao Xianwen from the Qingdao-based Ocean University of China told the paper.
“It must have something to do with the change in the environment, but are not scientifically sure of the reasons,” he added.
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Source: China Daily.
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