Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: NC/Beaufort Inlet (1981, Searles et al. 1984)
Geographic Extent
NC/Beaufort Inlet (1981, Searles et al. 1984); Morehead City/NC/Beaufort Inlet (2009, Geraldi et al. 2014)
Vectors
Level | Vector |
---|---|
Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Alternate | Natural Dispersal |
Alternate | Oyster Accidental |
Alternate | Fisheries Accidental (not Oyster) |
Alternate | Discarded Bait |
Regional Impacts
Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
Codium spp. are associated with both nitrogen-fixing and denitrifying bacteria. Codium fragile, which prefers artificial substrates, supports a greater rate of denitrification than the native C. decorticatum, increasing N2 release, and decreasing nitrate concentrations, potentially decreasing eutrophication (Geraldi et al. 2014). | ||
Ecological Impact | Food/Prey | |
Codium fragile was found to be a poor food source for the amphipod Ampithoe longimana, resulting in lower growth and survivorship (Cruz-Ribera and Hay 2001). | ||