Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: MD-VA/Chesapeake Bay, but the extent of its distribution and abundance is still being studied (James Norris, Department of Botany, USNMNH, personal communication, 2005
Geographic Extent
MD-VA/Chesapeake Bay, but the extent of its distribution and abundance is still being studied (James Norris, Department of Botany, USNMNH, personal communication, 2005). Somerset County/MD/Ape Hole Creek (2015, Kureger-Hadfield et al. 2013; 37.958073, -75.824408) FishermansIsland/VA/Chesapeake Bay-Atlantic Ocean (2006, Thomsen et al. 2009); Gloucester Point/VA/York River (2007, Falls 2008); Sandy Point/VA/York River (2007, Johnston and Lipcius 2012, 37°15’52.00’’N, 76°23’49.46’’W); VA/Perrin’s Creek, York River (2007, Johnston and Lipcius 2012, 37°15’43.78’’N, 76°25’22.14’’W); Carmine's Island/VA/York River (2007, Johnston and Lipcius 2012, 37°17’04.55’’N, 76°31’59.95’’W)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| In Chesapeake Bay, patches of G. vermiculophylla may offer refuges from predation for small Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus, partially compensating for the decline of seagrasses in the Bay. Reduced predation, compared with bare sediment, was seen both in mesocosm and field experiments (Falls 2008). Patches of this alga were superior both to bare sediment and native eelgrass (Zostera marina beds for protection of young Blue Crabs from predation (Johnston and Lipcius 2012). | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| In 2009, 'hairballs' of algae, tentatively identified as this species (by Karen McGlathery), clogged crab nets in Tangier Sound, lower Chesapeake Bay (Bay Daily 2009) | ||