‘Killer Algae,’ Popular in Aquariums, Now Banned
Legislation by a Huntington Beach assemblyman that bans the import, sale and possession of “killer algae”--a destructive alien species that has invaded local waters--has been signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis.
The banned algae--Caulerpa taxifolia--originates in the Caribbean and is a popular plant in home aquariums. But if tank water containing just a sliver of the algae is dumped into a storm drain, the algae can get into local waterways and quickly crowd out native habitats and marine life.
Unchecked, the brilliant green algae is voracious. It has already displaced more than 10,000 acres of seabed in the Mediterranean, experts say. The hardy fern-like seaweed has been found in only two places in the United States--Huntington Harbour and the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad.
“This is a colossal step in protecting our coastline,” said the bill’s author, Assemblyman Tom Harman.
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