(ECNS) -- Long-lasting high temperatures have caused a large die-off of sea cucumbers in Dalian, Liaoning Province.
The water temperature reached up to 36℃ this summer, compared to 25-26℃ in past years.
Sea cucumbers die and decompose when the water temperature rises above 30℃.
The provincial fisheries department says that 680,000 tons of sea cucumbers have been wiped out in some 63,300 hectares of affected farms.
Economic losses are estimated at more than $1 billion.
