From "harmless ornamental" to "killer algae"

From the San Francisco Chronicle comes this excellent article about the invasive algae Caulerpa taxifolia. Colin Woodard reports on the history of this marine algae, and its suspected mutation from a harmless ornamental species into the "killer algae" it is often known as today. The article includes the perspectives of people dealing with Caulerpa invasion all over the world, as well as the feelings of aquarium hobbyists who are against banning the entire genus in an effort to prevent the introduction of a single species.