Regulating Caulerpa Taxifolia!?!?

[Mr James]

I was Googling for information about The Jacoby Group starting an aquaculturing facility in the Florida Keys (Marathon Key) and happened upon this article from I believe 2006: E-Commerce and Caulerpa

Interesting stuff. I knew it was banned or whatever in California, but it sounds like this is a bigger issue.

**Disclaimer** I may have understood the article wrong.

 

[ClamIAm]

If I'm not mistaken C. taxifolia is listed as a noxious weed and thus interstate commerce of the species is illegal, but intrastate commerce is OK (except in California where it is illegal to possess)

 

[Caulerpanator]

ClamIAm is correct about the legal status of Caulerpa. Additionally, it is illegal to ship 9 species of Caulerpa into California, including grape and feather Caulerpa. Many states also ban Caulerpa taxifolia within the state, including Oregon, Alabama, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. Texas is reported to have also banned it very recently.

Chaetomorpha is such a better option; it doesn't latch on to everything, or go sexual, or smother the seafloor when it's accidentally released into the wild.

 

[Plantbrain]

I talked to enforcement a couple of years ago in CA and recommended banning the entire genus. This is due to the poor folks at the Ag stations who have to try and know every cotton picking species ID.
It's just not a realistic expectation.
There are still just 9 species banned right now.

I have a little trouble, but I'm good at it, they are not nearly as trained to ID all these "biopollutants". Nor are we ever going to have top taxonomic experts to work for the pay they give them either.

While C taxifolia has gotten the attention, I think it's very possible for most of these species to grow quite well at cooler temps here. I've cultured 14 species in the genus. C taxifolia was the hardest
Even at cool temps etc. Did not matter.

We have alternatives to use here anyway.

Do not plant weeds, use Chaeto or other plants.
FW weeds are bad as well.


Regards,
Tom Barr