Algae bloom threatens Olympics in China

(NECN/ABC) - There's something in the water in China and it may tarnish Olympic Gold. An algae bloom has infiltrated the waters where the Olympic sailing competition is to be held, turning them a bright green color. So, China has organized a small army of volunteers to try to fight Mother Nature, and turn the tide on the growing problem. The shores of Qingdao are awash in green, more than 154 square miles of it. In a race against the ticking Olympic countdown, 10,000 workers have been mobilized to contain the spreading menace. Volunteers from out of town are scooping up seaweed with their bare hands. Members of the U.S. Sailing Team, here for training, have been caught in the thick of it. One of the U.S. sailors described the texture to me as like hair in a bathtub drain, except there's oodles of it and it smells like rotting fish. Algae blooms when nutrients in water interact with sunlight...sometimes poisoning and blocking out other forms of marine life. Chinese officials are aiming to have the sailing venue cleaned up in 10 days. ABC's Stephanie Sy reports.