Australian state declares war on mutant seaweed
Date: 15-Aug-02
Country: AUSTRALIA
"The battle has been named Operation Mutant because the fight we are facing is against a mutant, noxious seaweed capable of multiplying at an alarming speed and devastating the marine environment in its wake," AAP quoted Rann as saying.
One front would be opened up in man-made lakes near the state capital Adelaide. High doses of copper sulphate would be poured into the lakes to kill the seaweed after as many fish as possible had been removed.
The other front would be in the Port River in the city's northwest suburbs. Divers would hoover up the seaweed there with special underwater vacuums, Rann said.
"Urgent action is required as soon as possible because it has the potential to ravage South Australia's fishing and aquaculture industries," he added.
The seaweed in its original form is thought to be native to tropical waters off northeast Australia where the Great Barrier Reef lies.
But a mutated,more virulent form dubbed "killer algae", because it spreads so fast that it smothers all native sea grasses, was discovered in around 1984 in the Mediterranean.
It has since spread to California and some areas near Sydney and has shown an adaptability to cool waters.
The algae became popular in the 1970s in the saltwater aquarium trade. Genetic research suggests the infestation in California is linked to a modified clone distributed by a German aquarium that somehow escaped into the Mediterranean.
Possessing Caulerpa Taxifolia is banned in Australia, Spain and France. The United States has declared it a noxious weed.