Annual patterns of macroalgal blooms in the Yellow Sea during 2007–2017

The world’s largest macroalgal blooms caused by Ulva prolifera have occurred in the Yellow Sea for 11 consecutive years. The area covered by blooms has been approximately 500 km2 in previous years, while in 2017, the maximum area decreased significantly to 312 km2. In this study, we concluded that species competition between Ulva and Sargassum (fast rise of the golden tides), extreme high sea surface temperature and harvest for floating Ulva macroalgae were the three critical factors influencing the sharp reduction in covered area for blooms in 2017. In addition, analysis of annual variations of Pyropia aquaculture area in the Southern Yellow Sea over the past two decades revealed that a great expansion in “Sansha” regions was mainly responsible for the initial blooms in 2007, and that this expansion supported the great biomass of the blooms in following years. Based on these findings, we suggest comprehensive utilization of the macroalgal blooms is a feasible way to control them.