Going Green - Algae Problem in China

CHINA -- A massive blob of Algae is threatening marine life and coastal tourism in China, but that is not stopping the children from cooling off (see picture left). While the algea is not poisonous it will make you smell like poop. No stranger to algae in August 2008, a large algae bloom threatened the sailing competition of the Olympic Games in the city of Qingdao in Shandong province. Up to 10,000 soldiers and volunteers were called up to clear more than a million tonnes of the foul-smelling algae. Chinese coastal waters often contain high levels of nitrates caused by agricultural and industrail runoff according to published reports. The buildup of nitrates often contributes to the growth of algea. Scientists, however, are still baffled as to why algae has spread so far and wide, so quickly.