Algae slick invades China
A huge expanse of algae that covered more than 50 square miles floats toward China’s eastern coast on July 26. The algae threatens marine life because it sucks up huge amounts of oxygen. Algae blooms, which are caused by pollution, are frequent occurrences in China, and they often threaten tourism because they leave a foul odor when they wash up on beaches.
In August 2008, a large algae bloom threatened the sailing competition during the Olympics, and 10,000 soldiers and volunteers were enlisted to clean up more than a million tons of algae.