Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Algae Madness

No new sightings of Caulerpa taxifolia in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon (Carlsbad, California) since last summer, according to this article from the North County Times. The current management plan, where divers seek out and destroy patches of the invasive algae by covering it with a tarp and pumping chlorine underneath, seems to be working well. But then again, this "killer algae" can reproduce from tiny floating fragments that are extremely difficult to spot, and because of that, chances are it's not quite gone. Just to be safe, the consultants spearheading the management project want to extend it for another year. As part of a compromise, a portion of the lagoon may be reopened, but only for "passive," non-motorized boats.

Meanwhile, alarms are ringing on the opposite coast as Floridians cope with the invasion of C. taxifolia's lesser-known cousin, C. brachypus. According to this article from The Stuart News, the algae is threatening the Indian River Lagoon, having arrived there this March. You can read a previous blog entry about C. brachypus in Palm Beach County by clicking here.

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