So do poor coordination and duplicated efforts among the bureaucracies responsible for monitoring the seas and mounting responses when red tides appear. The state has to heavily increase its funding. China has more than 100 monitoring stations scattered along its coast. The outposts rely on reports from residents as well as their own measurements to watch for incipient blooms of algae. Keeping people informed is key to minimizing economic damage, because most red tides in China occur close to shore, affecting individual fish farmers in shallower waters rather than the big companies engaged in deep-sea harvesting, said Li Xingming, an official with the State Oceanic Administration.
Word is spread through news reports and official notices sent by mail.
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.