Pictured above is a man motoring through an expanse of green algae along the coastline of Qingdao, China. The oxygen-sucking "green tide" has been proliferating across the east coastline of the country. And while CNN notes that researchers aren't sure what has caused the outbreak, its seems to be spreading. From Xinhua News Service yesterday:

The North China Sea Marine Forecasting Center of State Oceanic Administration cited a July 23 monitoring statistics as saying that about 19,050 square km of seawater in the Yellow Sea were found with algae, while some 500 square km were covered with the plant.

But, it is summer, so residents and tourists appear to be making do by swimming in the sludgy-looking algae on their vacation beach days. Via Getty and Reuters, here are a few of the scenes from the summer--in green, most of which were taken last week of beach-goers in Qingdao:

A fisherman overlooks her pond in Qingdao (Reuters):

And the clean-up crew beginning what looks like a very big task in Qingdao:

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Erik Hayden