THINGS TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT

by GENE MASCOLI

Gene's Columns Are Archived HERE

THINGS TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT

Giant Cloned Alien Monster Loose In U.S. Waters
Mutant Green Algae On The Attack

No, it's not the latest movie from Japan or Hollywood or the latest blockbuster from John Grisham; it's real life. The story begins innocently enough in Germany in der Wilhelma Stuttgart Aquarium. In the early 1980s, employees of the aquarium sought to spruce up their water displays by tinkering with a common saltwater aquarium plant called Caulerpa taxifolia.

Native C. taxifolia is found in and around the waters of Florida and the Caribbean. It is a smallish, yet hardy saltwater plant that grows rapidly and is ideal for use in aquariums with diverse conditions. It does though, require consistent light and warm temperatures to flourish. In other words it occupies an ecological niche. The Stuttgart Aquarium tried to improve on Mother Nature and succeeded in developing a hardier variety. Apparently, they were pleased with the result. Their cloned version, however, little-resembled the native species. It was Caulerpa-on-steroids, fast growing and even more hardy, comfortable both in warm and cold water, and didn't mind low-light environments. Rather than the diminutive native plant, this monster grew tall and strong.

C. taxifolia proved so popular that it was soon found in public aquariums in France and Monaco. By 1984, it was a popular specimen in home aquariums. Better living through science.

Sometime around 1984, a small amount of our killer algae escaped from the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco into the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists estimated this original patch to be about a square yard. The patch liked its new home so much it grew and grew and grew. By 1989 it had blanketed over 2 square acres of the sea floor. If this weren't bad enough, Caulerpa taxifolia was not a nice neighbor. It choked out native plants in its path, and altered fish populations as it rippled through the ecosystem. Fish that ate fish that ate plants, and so on. It impacted coastal towns, fishing industry, tourism and much more. Talk about lack of diversity.

Today, that little patch in the Mediterranean Sea covers over 14,000 acres in a jungle of 10-foot deep algae. It is clearly a man made ecological disaster.

'They're Here!'

Now C. taxifolia is vacationing in California. On June 12, 2,000, biologists found the algal clone off the coast of San Diego. There is speculation that the algae found its way to the Pacific from a home aquarium hobbyist who perhaps dumped the contents of his/her tank into the water system. 10 patches of Caulerpa were soon located within a narrow stretch of coast.

The panic button was hit. After seeing the havoc wreaked in Europe, scientists are taking immediate action. And they pray they are not too late. At risk is the entire California coast south to Peru.

Scientists have the small luxury of knowing what works, (mostly nothing) and what hasn't worked in Europe. In short order, officials closed the beaches near the site, hoping to prevent human water activity that might break up and spread the plant. Next is algaecide, and if that doesn't work, the patches will be covered and harsh poisons pumped underneath.

Caulerpa was only recently banned from import into the United States as a ‘noxious weed' and biologists and botanists are beginning to mobilize against the great green monster. It is truly ironic that cleaning a fish tank could potentially have such a devastating environmental impact affecting much of the Western coastline of the Americas.

It makes me wonder what other unintentional and innocent activities we carry on daily may lead to widespread adverse effects on the ecosystem.

So for now, keep your fingers crossed, think before pouring anything down the drain or into the sewers and hope that the spreading Astroturf will be halted before it does more damage. And, psst – tell your friends.

Here are a few more uninvited aquatic guests to worry about:

Crustaceans	Mollusks	Fish	Plants
Rusty Crayfish	Zebra Mussel	Common Carp	Curly-Leaf Pondweed
Spiny Water Flea	Amur River Clam	Round Goby	Eurasian Watermilfoil
European Green Crab	Asian Clam	Ruffe	Flowering Rush
Japanese Shore Crab	Atlantic Ship Worm	Sea Lamprey	Japanese Sputnik Weed
Chinese Mitten Crab	New Zealand Mud Snail	White Perch	Water Chestnut
Swimming Crab	Brown Mussel	.	Purple Loosestrife
Opossum Shrimp	.	.	Atlantic Salt Marsh Smooth Cordgrass
Daphnia Lumholtzi	.	.	Hydrilla

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