Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
Published on: June 13, 2020
A Massive Green Tide in the Yellow Sea in 2021: Field Investigation and Analysis
Minjie Song1,2, Fanzhou Kong1,3,4, Yifan Li1,2
1CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
Abstract:
A massive green tide occurred in the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) in 2021. As in previous years, its high biomass caused trouble to the coastal environment and landscape in 2021. Unusually, the 2021 green tide was unexpectedly massive. Thus, field surveys and remote sensing were conducted in the SYS from December 2020 to July 2021. Compared to pure satellite observations, it revealed the initial development of the green tide more clearly. Given the effects of temperature and nutrient changes on green tide biomass, we compared the environmental parameters in recent years and found no significant increase in nutrient concentrations or changes in temperature of the SYS in 2021. Relative to 2020, the 2021 green tide exhibited a wide distribution, high biomass, and prolonged duration. It was mainly affected by (1) reduced implementation of source-control measures and (2) limited Sargassum biomass, which reduced competition for Ulva prolifera. Strengthening the implementation of source control measures in Subei Shoal is recommended, which is currently the most effective way to control green tides.
