Caulerpa taxifolia gets the name Killer Algae from being highly adaptable to any habitat, rapid growth, and capabilities to produce high concentrations of toxic secondary compounds, out-competing native seaweed species.
The algae is popular for being aquarium tank decoration. In the early 1980's a professor at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis (France), found a patch of the algae in front of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. Theories say the algae was released after an aquarium cleaning. (Analysis showed that it was the genetically altered aquarium specie not the wild strand, so natural dispersion is not an option)
Once introduced to the Mediterranean it easily multiplied throughout the coastline due to anchors, fishing nets, and dumping ballast water.
Its has a highly toxic chemical defense, so it's barely eaten by herbivores, having no competition the average growth rate is 1 cm per day.
The species is conflicting with many ecosystems, threatening biological stability in the marine environment. Caulerpa taxifolia is known to kill many fish species, it also is harming tourism, decreases the pleasure of boating, recreational, and has a financial impact on commercial fishing.
The removal process:
Many removal ideas have been tested, to manual removal, suction pump, hot water, electrolysis with copper electrodes, copper ions through an ionic selective membrane, and the use of chlorine. Some biological control ideas are to introduce grazing tropical species but it might lead to unexpected consequences.
But the most effective methods of removal is to seal off a patch of Caulerpa taxifolia cover it with a heavy plastic sheet that is sealed to the bottom, at the top is a small port that releases a herbicide. But that can only treat on the small scale, large scale removal is still out of reach, due to low public awareness and low priority. But this killer algae is a full threat to the marine biodiversity.
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