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Laura Zhou

A massive algal bloom in southern China has turned the coastline green and is threatening conservation of a mangrove forest.
The bloom, covering a mangrove swamp and extending to a beach in Beihai, Guangxi province, is believed to be linked to pollution from agricultural- and industrial-related activities near the region, news portal Chinanews.com reported.
Chinese scientists develop 'weapon of mass destruction' as last resort in fight against harmful algal blooms
The rapid growth of green algae, while not known to be harmful to people, can cause extensive damage to marine and floral life. Blooms of such microscopic algae can occur naturally but are often linked to pollution.

The affected area in Beihai is part of the Haibin National Wetland Park. Established just two years ago, the park is Guangxi’s only national wetland park.
Guangxi is one of the major zones for mangrove forest conservation in China. Most of the forests, a protected species in the country, grow in Beihai.
But the city has experienced a dramatic decrease of such forests in recent years.

At its peak, Beihai had some 50,000 hectares of mangrove forests, compared with today’s 7,300 hectares, according to He Binyuan, a researcher from Guangxi Academy of Oceanic Research, who was quoted in a June report from the Economic Information Daily.
Seas in eastern China turn green as algae covers Qingdao beaches
The shrinking forests have also posed a grave threat to endangered species that live in such wetlands, including birds, plants, fishes and crabs, the report said.
The phenomenon of large algal blooms across China have become more common in recent years, the report said.
In July last year, a carpet of green algae blanketed at least 35,000 square kilometres of water along the coast of eastern China’s Shandong province.


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When going green isn’t good: algal bloom threatens China’s mangrove forest

The harmful algal bloom is threatening mangrove forests and endangered species in the Haibin National Wetland Park in Beihai, Guangxi province. Photo: Handout

=== NO ARCHIVE IMAGE === ATN. ALGAE21. UNDATED HANDOUT

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