Thursday, October 31, 2002

Bad Boys from Brazil

According to this article from the Wilmington Star, Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa) may be responsible for fish kills near the confluence of Town Creek and Rice Creek in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The South American aquatic weed is known to invade fresh water ecosystems, usually after it is dumped by unknowing or uncaring aquarists. Scientists think the fish kills in NC are caused by die off of the Brazilian waterweed, since the decomposition of the plant material uses up large amounts of dissolved oxygen that the fish need to survive. No word yet on what is causing the weed die off.

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