July 10, 2025 | 08:30 GMT +7
July 10, 2025 | 08:30 GMT +7
Hotline: 0913.378.918
A boat is surrounded by green algae off the coast of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province on Jun 17, 2021. Photo: AP
The thick layer of plants that has coated waters and clogged beaches appeared last month and is reportedly the heaviest on record.
Such blooms can displace critical food sources for ocean animals while giving off a strong smell.
State media reported on Thursday (Jul 8) that the outbreak has spread over around 9,290 sq km.
The Xinhua News Agency said authorities have deployed about 7,300 vessels that have thus far collected around 217,700 tonnes of algae.
Qingdao has seen such outbreaks for at least 15 years, but never on this level. Similar blooms have occurred in inland waterways such as Lake Tai to the south of Qingdao in Jiangsu province.
Xinhua said a large patch of algae was first spotted drifting northward from the coast of Jiangsu in mid-May, blooming and thickening as it went.
Algae blooms can occur naturally, but are thought to be growing worse due to a rise in sea temperatures and the heavy use of chemical-based fertilisers.
They are also appearing more widely, with outbreaks seen from California to the Suez Canal.
(AFP)
(VAN) How a system designed to protect the world’s biggest rainforest is funding businesses with a track record of illegal deforestation.
(VAN) Pressure is growing on companies to adopt the cage-free commitment for their egg supplies. Many food companies said their eggs would be from cage-free systems by the end of this year (2025).
(VAN) Water shortages hitting crops, energy and health as crisis gathers pace amid climate breakdown.
(VAN) The initiatives focus on forestry management, fisheries transformation and land restoration.
(VAN) Director-General QU Dongyu addresses the 6th AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial Conference.
(VAN) In the suburbs of Beijing, there is an agricultural center spanning over 150 hectares dedicated to research, demonstration, and application of high-tech and precision agriculture.
(VAN) Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new environmentally friendly fertilizer additive that significantly enhances crop yields while reducing emissions of harmful gases.