Almost 200 square miles (500 square kilometers) of the Yellow Sea off China are covered by a massive bloom of green algae, according to a report from China's Xinhua news service.
The bloom has spread to almost 7,400 square miles (19,050 square kilometers) in total and is expected to grow, Xinhua reported, citing the North China Sea Marine Forecasting Center of State Oceanic Administration.
The algae bloom threatens marine life as it sucks oxygen from the water although the algae itself is not poisonous, according to the Xinhua report.
Researchers don't know what causes the massive algae blooms, first seen in the Yellow Sea in 2007.
Tons of the green algae had to be removed in 2008 to make way for sailing events at the Summer Olympics.
"We don't know where it originated and why it's suddenly growing so rapidly," Bao Xianwen from the Qingdao-based Ocean University of China, told the China Daily earlier this month. "It must have something to do with the change in the environment, but we are not scientifically sure of the reasons."
Um unless I miss something in Science class Algae Produce Oxygen and use photosynthesis. The above report says its kiling marine life because its sucking up all the Oxygen. Another example of Journalism at its best. What a bunch of dweebs.
Well it seems that some people were asleep on their science classes... Plants give off oxygen through photosynthesis, but they also USE UP oxygen through the process of RESPIRATION to produce energy.. Therefore if there is an excess of biomass (algae) in the water the oxygen gets depleted and it is detrimental to animals that need oxygen to survive. The article is correct!
You're not only nuts but also ignorant...and yes yopu missed a lot in your science class if you ever attended one...or maybe you attended those where the republicans teach?
Anyway, check how and what the plants use what they just stored during the light phase of photosynthesis...
They went to journalism school , not biology class !
Yes, you missed something. Trying googling "how algae blooms deplete oxygen."
You're not nust, AmINuts. You're just an idiot.
Let's get back to some simple BASIC science here. You are correct, algae produce oxygen via photosynthesis. That much you know. Good. But large surface algae blooms deplete the water of oxygen in 3 ways. 1. If it is a thick mat on the surface, as in this case, it can block sunlight and prevent other forms of algae/sea plant from producing oxygen. 2. A thick surface algae coating can block the natural exchange of oxygen from air to water. 3 MOST IMPORTANTLY: as the algae dies the decomposition via aerobic bacteria CONSUMES the available oxygen in the water. The net result is a oxygen depleted region and mass die off of sea life.
"Researchers don't know what causes the massive algae blooms, first seen in the Yellow Sea in 2007..."
how about figuring out what the factories were dumping into the ocean around 2007?
Too true.
I wonder when is everyone going to wake up and realize that the Most Favored Nation is the devil.
Hmmm....Seems like alot of Bio-Fuel to me! Wish I had the cash to harvest it!!
Sudden death of phytoplankton or algae bloom, "bloom crash", may result from insufficient light (e.g. cloud cover) for photosynthesis, inadequate pond nutrients (a bloom too dense to be supported by available nutrients and oxygen) and/or bloom senescence (the plant cell line becomes too old to continue reproduction). Oxygen is consumed or depleted when dead phytoplankton/algae decay. During the nighttime hours, a dense phytoplankton bloom can remove all oxygen from the water for respiration (to breathe) alone. When a bloom crash occurs, the water appears to have become "black" or clear overnight.
Hey guys, will you do me a favor and visit HelpFaye.ORG a friend of mine with 2 babies is fighting for her life.... Thanks
Yes, I would say it most definitely has something to do with the changes in the environment. Global warming would cause algae to grow out of control.
Ummm... how about pollution as a cause? Nitrate runoff.
I think what the person said about algae sucking oxygen out of the water is that when the algae dies, the bacteria decomposing it will eat all the oxygen. The bloom right now is unsustainable, it will be followed by a massive die off. Thats when the oxygen will be depleted.
Welcome to summer.
What sucks oxygen is the DECAY of algae. When algae dies it consumes dissolved oxygen when it decomposes.
Algae produces oxygen, but in gaseous form. Oxygen gas doesn't readily dissolved into water unless the partial pressure of O2 is high enough, which is rarely the case.
why dont they just get aggressive, use their ships and start removing it?
I'm not a scientist, but a quick look at wikipedia states that algae PRODUCES oxygen....moron journalists.
A quick google search will also explain why algae blooms deplete oxygen. You aren't a scientist, nor are you correct.
poop... poop,,, it's poop!!!!!
Ummmm. Screw the science talk. Why the f_kk are these people still swimming in it? Is it THAT important to take a dip?
The Chineese should declare it to be an aphrodesiac of significant power and let the market handle it from there.
"We don't know where it originated and why it's suddenly growing so rapidly," Bao Xianwen from the Qingdao-based Ocean University of China, told the China Daily earlier this month. "It must have something to do with the change in the environment, but we are not scientifically sure of the reasons."
CNN just -had- to get that little left-wing message in there. Does it not seem more likely that this algae bloom is a product of pollution? Most of the algae blooms that I've heard of are the result of farm runoff and other forms of pollution, not "the change in the environment" AKA "global warming."
left wing message? You basically just repeated what they said. Change in the environment could include pollution. Get it? If you would take your political blinders off and just read the story and try to understand the science without political hatred you might get to the solution faster.
Could be a bit of both. Pollution in the water and with warmer global temperatures, it is a great environment for germination and growth. Usually such things can't grow in cold frigid water.
Clearly, pollution changes the enviornment.
Ummmm. Pollution is a change of environment. The statement was that something has changed in the environment. It could actually be global warming which is not a left or right issue.
Pollution-induced climate changes are still climate changes. Whether a natural change in the environment has caused the algae growth or a pollution-induced change in the environment has caused the algae growth both point to the same end: a change has occurred and potentially hazardous results are literally growing.
Reminds me of a saying:
"Only when the last tree has been cut down; Only when the last river has been poisoned; Only when the last fish has been caught; Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten"
Idiot.
I second the idiot comment.