In parts of Yantai, East China’s Shandong Province, the sea and beaches have been blanketed by seaweed. Photo:web

 
"Sailing a boat across a 'vast green meadow'..." In parts of Yantai, East China's Shandong Province, the sea and beaches have been blanketed by seaweed. On Monday, videos captured by netizens sparked heated discussions after being posted on social media.

In the footage shared online, several people were seen riding a small boat across the sea. Instead of the usual blue, the surrounding water appeared green, with dense clusters of seaweed swaying in the waves. At a glance, it looked as if the boat were gliding over a patch of grassland.

Near a development zone in Yantai, a resident, surnamed Li, also spotted seaweed on the public beach. She provided reporters with a video taken on the afternoon of June 29, showing green seaweed covering the shore, forming a several-meter-wide belt that stretched far along the beach. Li said the recreational space had been taken over by the seaweed, which would soon emit a foul odor.

On Tuesday, staff from Yantai's Ocean Development and Fisheries Bureau said that Shandong Province had activated a pre-emptive cleanup mechanism about 10 days earlier, with Haiyang city already beginning offshore removal efforts. The staff worker said: "The peak period for seaweed outbreaks is typically from June to August. Since late May, we have strengthened monitoring and early warnings, which will continue until the seaweed disappears. Offshore cleanup is ongoing, while seaweed washed ashore is being removed by relevant departments."