Ulva prolifera green-tide outbreaks and their environmental impact in the Yellow Sea, China

Yongyu Zhang; Peimin He; Hongmei Li; Gang Li; Jihua Liu; Fanglue Jiao; Jianheng Zhang; Yuanzi Huo; Xiaoyong Shi; Rongguo Su; Naihao Ye; Dongyan Liu; Rencheng Yu; Zongling Wang; Mingjiang Zhou; Nianzhi Jiao

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwz026

Ulva prolifera green-tide outbreaks and their environmental impact in the Yellow Sea, China

Natl Sci Rev. 2019 Jul;6(4):825-838. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwz026. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Authors

Yongyu Zhang^{1

2}, Peimin He³, Hongmei Li¹, Gang Li¹, Jihua Liu^{4

5}, Fanglue Jiao⁵, Jianheng Zhang³, Yuanzi Huo³, Xiaoyong Shi⁶, Rongguo Su⁷, Naihao Ye⁸, Dongyan Liu⁹, Rencheng Yu¹⁰, Zongling Wang¹¹, Mingjiang Zhou¹⁰, Nianzhi Jiao²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
² Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China.
³ College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
⁴ Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
⁵ Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada.
⁶ National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service, State Oceanic Administration, Beijing 100194, China.
⁷ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
⁸ Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁹ State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
¹⁰ Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
¹¹ Key Laboratory of Science and Engineering for Marine Ecology and Environment, the First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China.

Abstract

The Ulva prolifera green tides in the Yellow Sea, China, which have been occurring since 2007, are a serious environmental problem attracting worldwide attention. Despite extensive research, the outbreak mechanisms have not been fully understood. Comprehensive analysis of anthropogenic and natural biotic and abiotic factors reveals that human activities, regional physicochemical conditions and algal physiological characteristics as well as ocean warming and biological interactions (with microorganism or other macroalgae) are closely related to the occurrence of green tides. Dynamics of these factors and their interactions could explain why green tides suddenly occurred in 2007 and decreased abruptly in 2017. Moreover, the consequence of green tides is serious. The decay of macroalgal biomass could result in hypoxia and acidification, possibly induce red tide and even have a long-lasting impact on coastal carbon cycles and the ecosystem. Accordingly, corresponding countermeasures have been proposed in our study for future reference in ecosystem management strategies and sustainable development policy.

Keywords: Ulva prolifera; Yellow Sea; eco-environmental effects; green tides; outbreak mechanisms.