If he receives enough warning, Zhao Xiaodou can try to stave off losses by moving his four dozen fish pens to the other side of the bay off Aotou. But there's often not enough time or labor. Chinese scientists are experimenting with ways of containing or dispersing red tides once they pop up. One method involves using a clay that acts as a magnet for algae cells in the water, then sinks to the sea bottom, taking the algae with it. But no truly effective method is available yet for preventing red tides or stopping them when they start.
Solutions lie in the future, experts say.
The bottom line is that in the long term, we have to control pollution inputs. Such an effort, however, will likely take decades, he said.