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Preventing Introductions To Sustain Healthy Ecosystems: Establish Eradication Protocols For A Popular Aquarium Seaweed, Julie Deslauriers
Preventing Introductions To Sustain Healthy Ecosystems: Establish Eradication Protocols For A Popular Aquarium Seaweed, Julie Deslauriers
The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal
Aquarium release, a vector that introduces non-native species, recently caused the costly invasion of the green macroalga (seaweed) Caulerpa taxifolia along the Californian, Mediterranean, and Australian coasts. C. taxifolia was classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species and cost California over $7 million to control with black tarps and chlorine bleach. Since the incident, educational efforts at conferences and conventions have influenced more than 50% of surveyed hobbyists to switch to another green macroalga, Chaetomorpha, as their primary alga in their saltwater tanks. C. taxifolia and Chaetomorpha …
The Next "Killer" Algae? Assessing And Mitigating Invasion Risk For Aquarium Strains Of The Marine Macroalgal Genus Chaetomorpha, Rachel Odom
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Biological invasions threaten the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems. Anthropogenic introductions of non-native species can displace native flora and fauna, altering community compositions and disrupting ecosystem services. One often-overlooked vector for such introductions is the release of aquarium organisms into aquatic ecosystems. Following detrimental aquarium-release invasions by the "killer alga" Caulerpa taxifolia, aquarium hobbyists and professions began promoting the use of other genera of macroalgae as "safe" alternatives. The most popular of these marine aquarium macroalgae, the genus Chaetomorpha, is analyzed here for invasion risk. Mitigation strategies are also evaluated. I found that the propensity for reproduction by vegetative fragmentation …