Green algae and brave beach-goers take over Chinese coast

Qingdao is truly earning its name this year. The Chinese city?s name means ?green island? and on July 5, LA Times is reporting that just off the coast is a mass of green algae that is now twice the size of Los Angeles County.

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The algae began growing about a month ago and there are some sections of water where the algae is 16 inches deep. But this hasn?t completely stopped beach-goers from braving the slimy sludge. The algae, known as enteromorpha prolifera, has been growing in these waters for the past seven years, though this year the size of growth is record-breaking.

The high rate of growth is brought on by the right water temperature and an increased amount of phosphorus in the water. The phosphorus and other minerals have likely come from industrial runoff and pollution.

Workers are using bulldozers, nets and boats to try to clear the area, but so far they haven?t been able to keep up. The algae isn?t dangerous to the humans who choose to frolic in it, but it can damage the ocean?s ecosystem, by limiting the amount of sunlight available to the plants underneath the surface.

The Guardian notes that this explosion of algae is the result of a dramatic change in the ecosystem.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/green-algae-and-brave-beach-goers-take-over-chinese-coast?cid=rss

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