Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005); Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005); Juno Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005)
Geographic Extent
near House of Refuge, Martin County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003); Juno Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; ; Juno Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005); Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005); LaPointe et al. 2005); ; Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005);Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 2003; LaPointe et al. 2005)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
| Alternate | Aquatic Plant Shipments |
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
On the coast of northern Palm Beach County, Florida, from Boynton Beach to Jupiter, blooms of Caulerpa brachypus were overgrowing sponges, corals, soft corals, and native algae (Cauilerpa verticllatata, C. racemosa), forming dense mats. Stable isotope analysis suggests that submarine groundwater discharge, absorbed through C. brachypus' rhizoids, is the major source of nutrients for these blooms. The rhizoids could also intercept nutrients which would support upright, frondose algae (LaPointe et al. 2005; Lapointe and Bedford 2010). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
The dense, continuous mats formed by Caulerpa brachypus cover sponges and corals, and displace taller frondose algae (LaPointe and Bedford 2010), probably erasing refuge habitats for small invertebrates and fishes. | ||