A citizen surnamed Long recently reported seeing the sea areas near the Xiaomeisha coastal promenade overgrown with sargassum, a type of algae, calling for the government’s attention on the matter, oeeee.com reported yesterday.

After searching online, Long believed that sargassum, also called gulfweed or sea holly, is harmful to the ecological environment and water quality.

After receiving Long’s message, the Xiaomeisha Community invited four researchers from the Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau to take gulfweed samples from waters off the promenade near Xiaomeisha Huaqiao Cemetery back for further examination.

According to the bureau’s researchers, the plant is called Sargassum hemiphyllum which can be made into food.

It grows like a tree in the sea and can normally go up to more than one meter high. The plants, which are temperature sensitive, grow from November to May and disappear in the summer when it is warmer.

They attract sea urchins, shrimps and fish, and can be only seen under good ecological conditions, according to the researchers.

Last month, a diving team saw a shoal of fish around the gulfweed.

With regard to Long’s concern, a Xiaomeisha Community staff said that they will keep the water clean and put up informational posters about gulfweeds. In addition, they will use WeChat groups to further spread related knowledge to nearby residents.