China's port city Qingdao suffers worst algae infestation

BEIJING: China's eastern port city Qingdao is experiencing the worst ever algae infestation in the region, with more than 1,700 square km of costal area blanketed by harmful green seaweed, also known as "green tide".

Qingdao has suffered from algae for 15 years. It normally appears from late spring and lasts for three to four months, damaging the local marine ecosystem as algae take oxygen from other organisms and churn out toxic odour while decaying. More than 1 million tonnes of algae are expected to be removed from costal waters, state-backed China News reported on Monday, citing an expert from Institute of Oceanology at Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS).