Algal Ban?

Right now only the Mediterranean clone of the marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia is a federally listed noxious weed (.pdf). Do you think the entire species should be listed, or even the entire genus of Caulerpa? More than one hundred scientists and concerned citizens have signed petitions to this effect, and now there is a sixty day comment period for anyone to weigh in with his/her opinion. Details are here.

Buy Online

USA Today has this report about the sale of invasive plants and noxious weeds via the internet. Not much new here, but a good summary. It remians true that the responsibility of checking whether a non-native species is invasive or even illegal to own is frequently placed on the consumer. Also, the U.S. is in need of a better way for sellers to keep up with which states have lists and when those lists are updated. So congrats to all you consumers out there reading this for furthering your education!

Hello Old Friend

Seems our native Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) has secretly been vacationing in the Orient. As reported by china.org, the goldenrod has been used an an ornamental in China since the 1930s, and has since escaped into the wild and become invasive. Researchers, noting its propensity to displace native plants, are calling for its eradication. Bonus points to China Daily for using the plant's scientific name.

Another Emerald City

Michigan's emerald ash borer beetle ( Agrilus planipennis) invasion has been restricted to only the most southeastern parts of the state...until now. The Traverse City Record-Eagle is reporting that a beetle infestation was found in a group of ash trees in Petroskey, a city in Emmet County that is on the northwest tip of the lower half of the state. State workers are currently developing a response plan, which is likely to include removal of all ash trees in the area.

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)

A mussel from South America recently reappeared in Florida, according to this NAS alert. An established population of the Charru mussel (Mytella charruana), which has not been seen in Florida since 1986, has been discovered on a dock in Mosquito Lagoon. Not much information about this species on the internet, here's hoping it doesn't turn out to be the next zebra mussel.

Squeeze Play

CNN International has this report about the naturalization of the Burmese python (Python molarus bivittatus) in the Florida Everglades. Scientists think the snakes, which can live more than two decades, were released by people who no longer wanted them as pets. Now breeding populations have been found, and no one's sure what the impact will be, though it's likely to be bad for the birds and small mammals, and good for the hungry alligators.

Meow!

I was going to prepare a post about the rat problem in Atascaderos, Mexico, but then I found that Caitlin over at Cat Out Loud has done it so much better. Go read it, it's good stuff.