Krazy Kiwi wrote:
>
> On Mon, 16 Apr 2001 J.M. Vitoux <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >The caulerpa taxifolia is indeed wreaking havoc in some parts of
> >the Italian and French coast. It is believed to have been
> >introduced into the habitat by the Monaco oceanographic museum
> >when cleaning their aquarium.
> >It does have natural predators in its habitat of origin. However,
> >local species find it totally inedible. The alguae thrives and
> >outcompetes local ones, creating huge lifeless patches of green.
>
> The WORST NEWS possible appeared on our ABC’s news website YESTERDAY (April
> 18). ‘Algae detected in NSW. There has been infestation of the fast-growing
> noxious marine algae, Caulerpa Taxifolia, found in New South Wales
> waterways, at Botany Bay. Caulerpa smothers seagrass beds and spreads
> easily. The algae has been discovered within the Towra Point aquatic
> reserve, although it is not known how long it may have been growing there.
> The weed has also been found in Lake Macquarie near Newcastle, at Pittwater
> and Port Hacking in Sydney and Lake Conjola and Burrill Lake on the south
> coast.’ END
>
> In our northern tropical wates we have a natural population of C.
> taxifolia. but the cold-tolerant ‘hybrid’ pest strain that has now appeared
> in the eastern states has the potential to take-over most of our southern
> coast.

Bad news indeed. For those who are interested, the following link
is the best one I have on the subject.

http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/ct/caulerpa.htm

Jean-Marc