Chinese ships have dropped human waste and wastewater for years in a disputed area of the South China Sea, a U.S.-based expert said Monday. The dropping of waste has caused algae to grow. The underwater plants have damaged coral reefs and threatened the fish population in the area. Satellite images over the last five years show how human waste, and other wastewaters have built up and caused algae in a group of reefs in the Spratlys area. In this place, Chinese fishing ships have anchored in large groups, said Liz Derr. She heads Simularity Inc., a software company that creates artificial intelligence technologies that help experts examine satellite images. Derr said that in a single day last month, at least 236 ships were spotted in the atoll, internationally known as Union Banks. She gave that information at a Philippine online news discussion about China’s actions in the South China Sea. “When the ships don’t move, the poop piles up,” Derr said. The Chinese ships then dump the human waste “onto the reefs they are occupying,” she explained. Derr warned that schools of fish reproduce in the reefs that are being damaged. This could cause the fish population in the area to drop sharply. Chinese officials did not immediately react to Derr’s description of the environmental damage. They have said in the past that they have taken steps to protect fish and the environment in the South China Sea. In addition to Chinese forces, Vietnamese forces have also occupied some areas in Union Banks. The Philippines also has claimed Union Banks as its territory. The Philippines, however, does not have ships in the atoll. Eduardo Menez is the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary. He said the findings would have to be investigated by Philippine officials before his government would decide whether to make an official protest. China is growing more aggressive about pressing its territorial claims of the sea. The claims are creating conflict with Japan, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. In March, Philippine officials found more than 200 Chinese fishing ships at Whinsun Reef in Unions Banks. They demanded that the ships leave the area. China ignored the demand for weeks, while continuing to say it owned the reef. The Philippines argued that Whinsun Reef lies well within an internationally recognized area where it has full rights to fish and drill for resources. It added that a 2016 ruling denied China’s claims to the waterway.
Title: US Expert: Images Show Chinese Ship Waste Endangering Reefs
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US Expert: Images Show Chinese Ship Waste Endangering Reefs' data-article-id='5751'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15542'>Chinese ships have dropped human waste and wastewater for years in a disputed area of the South China Sea, a U.S.-based expert said Monday. </span> <span data-start-time='15542' data-end-time='20438'>The dropping of waste has caused algae to grow. </span> <span data-start-time='20438' data-end-time='29042'>The underwater plants have damaged coral reefs and threatened the fish population in the area.</span> <span data-start-time='29042' data-end-time='43229'>Satellite images over the last five years show how human waste, and other wastewaters have built up and caused algae in a group of reefs in the Spratlys area. </span> <span data-start-time='43229' data-end-time='50771'>In this place, Chinese fishing ships have anchored in large groups, said Liz Derr. </span> <span data-start-time='50771' data-end-time='63292'>She heads Simularity Inc., a software company that creates artificial intelligence technologies that help experts examine satellite images.</span> <span data-start-time='63292' data-end-time='76604'>Derr said that in a single day last month, at least 236 ships were spotted in the atoll, internationally known as Union Banks. </span> <span data-start-time='76604' data-end-time='86479'>She gave that information at a Philippine online news discussion about China’s actions in the South China Sea.</span> <span data-start-time='86479' data-end-time='92167'>“When the ships don’t move, the poop piles up,” Derr said.</span> <span data-start-time='92167' data-end-time='99979'>The Chinese ships then dump the human waste “onto the reefs they are occupying,” she explained.</span> <span data-start-time='99979' data-end-time='106063'>Derr warned that schools of fish reproduce in the reefs that are being damaged. </span> <span data-start-time='106063' data-end-time='111250'>This could cause the fish population in the area to drop sharply.</span> <span data-start-time='111250' data-end-time='118583'>Chinese officials did not immediately react to Derr’s description of the environmental damage.</span> <span data-start-time='118583' data-end-time='127979'>They have said in the past that they have taken steps to protect fish and the environment in the South China Sea.</span> <span data-start-time='127979' data-end-time='136688'>In addition to Chinese forces, Vietnamese forces have also occupied some areas in Union Banks.</span> <span data-start-time='136688' data-end-time='141875'>The Philippines also has claimed Union Banks as its territory. </span> <span data-start-time='141875' data-end-time='146458'>The Philippines, however, does not have ships in the atoll.</span> <span data-start-time='146458' data-end-time='152833'>Eduardo Menez is the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary. </span> <span data-start-time='152833' data-end-time='163979'>He said the findings would have to be investigated by Philippine officials before his government would decide whether to make an official protest.</span> <span data-start-time='163979' data-end-time='170542'>China is growing more aggressive about pressing its territorial claims of the sea. </span> <span data-start-time='170542' data-end-time='178167'>The claims are creating conflict with Japan, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.</span> <span data-start-time='178167' data-end-time='187563'>In March, Philippine officials found more than 200 Chinese fishing ships at Whinsun Reef in Unions Banks. </span> <span data-start-time='187563' data-end-time='190792'>They demanded that the ships leave the area. </span> <span data-start-time='190792' data-end-time='197438'>China ignored the demand for weeks, while continuing to say it owned the reef. </span> <span data-start-time='197438' data-end-time='209188'>The Philippines argued that Whinsun Reef lies well within an internationally recognized area where it has full rights to fish and drill for resources. </span> <span data-start-time='209188' data-end-time='215938'>It added that a 2016 ruling denied China’s claims to the waterway.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/B.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17755 data-hint-location='141875' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/what_is_an_atoll.wav'>What is an atoll?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/a_person_with_above_average_height.wav'><span>a person with above average height</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/a_ringshaped_reef_island_or_chain_of_islands_formed_of_coral.wav'><span>a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/the_envelope_of_gases_surrounding_the_earth.wav'><span>the envelope of gases surrounding the earth</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/material_that_is_not_wanted.wav'><span>material that is not wanted</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17756 data-hint-location='15542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/what_is_causing_algae_to_grow_in_the_specified_reefs.wav'>What is causing algae to grow in the specified reefs?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='waste'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/waste.wav'><span>waste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/balloons.wav'><span>balloons</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/fish.wav'><span>fish</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/denim.wav'><span>denim</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17757 data-hint-location='106063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/this_could_cause_the_fish_population_in_the_area_to__blank__sharply.wav'>This could cause the fish population in the area to <span class='blank'>drop</span> sharply.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='drop'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/sing.wav'><span>sing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/drop.wav'><span>drop</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/normalize.wav'><span>normalize</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5205/matter.wav'><span>matter</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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