Experimental use of salt to control the invasive marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia in New South Wales, Australia

Glasby, Tim M.; Creese, Robert G.; Gibson, Peter T.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.09.012

Cited by 37 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Mar Ecol Prog Ser 420: 73-81, 2010 (Glasby et al 2005), was as high as 13 ± 5%. Furthermore, the enrichment experiment indicated that such pulses of C. taxifolia wrack influence negatively on the abundance and species richness of macroinvertebrate populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Non-metric multidimensional scaling comparing macrofaunal assemblages between plots receiving high (90 g, J, D) or low (30 g, h, s) loading of C. taxifolia detritus, and unenriched control plots (m n). Detritus C:N ratio received in enriched plots: 13.9 ± 0.9 (high, s, D) and 7.5 ± 0.3 (low, h, J) (n = 7)Mar Ecol Prog Ser 420: 73-81, 2010 (Glasby et al 2005), was as high as 13 ± 5%. Furthermore, the enrichment experiment indicated that such pulses of C. taxifolia wrack influence negatively on the abundance and species richness of macroinvertebrate populations.…”

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confidence: 90%

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Impacts of detritus from the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia on a soft sediment community

Taylor¹,

Bishop²,

Kelaher³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Invasive primary producers can dramatically reorganize food webs through detrital subsidies. This study assessed (1) contributions of the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia to detrital resources of temperate Australian estuaries, and (2) effects of these contributions on sedimentdwelling invertebrates. In an invaded estuary, sampling of an intertidal shore indicated C. taxifolia fragments were consistently present in organic matter deposits and were particularly abundant following storms. Sampling of the alga across 6 invaded estuaries showed that the ratio of organic carbon to nitrogen (C:N) in fresh tissue varied between 7 and 16. To determine how C. taxifolia detritus influences benthic macrofaunal assemblages and whether this influence depends on the quantity and C:N ratio of C. taxifolia detritus, a manipulative field experiment was performed. On a sheltered intertidal mudflat, 0.25 m 2 plots of sediment were experimentally enriched with either a high (90 g DW) or low (30 g) loading of high C:N (14) or low C:N (7) C. taxifolia detritus. Experimental enrichment negatively affected the total abundance and species richness of macroinvertebrates relative to controls, and these effects increased with detrital loading. For some macrofauna, reducing the C:N ratio tended to exacerbate negative effects on abundances, whereas it moderated these effects for other species. Given that organic matter derived from invasive species can be transported beyond the distribution of live invaders, greater consideration should be given to the potential broad-scale effects of invasive primary producers on detrital pathways. KEY WORDS: Detritus · Caulerpa taxifolia · Food quality · Invasion · Nitrogen content · Spatial subsidy Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 420: [73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] 2010 sources, typically degrades rapidly and produces a short-term nutritional source to fast growing consumers (Tenore 1977). Although the C:N ratio of detritus can change during degradation (Anderson 1973, Suberkropp et al. 1976, the starting C:N ratio is a good predictor of decomposition rate (Enriquez et al. 1993).Invasive primary producers are an increasingly large component of detrital pools (Kennedy & Hobbie 2004, Rodil et al. 2008 and have the potential to markedly alter their value. Many successful invaders have rapid individual growth, early maturity, a short life span, high fecundity, minimal structural defence and extensive dispersal capacity (Lodge 1993, Schaffelke et al. 2006. Consequently, invasive primary producers tend to generate large amounts of labile detritus with a low C:N ratio, which is more readily decomposed than is litter from native species (Vitousek et al. 1987, Ashton et al. 2005. Whereas small amounts of refractory detritus may fuel productivity, large quantities of labile detritus may induce sediment anoxia (Pearson & Rosenberg 1978). This phenomenon may be exacerbated in areas of nutrient enrichment where invasive primary producer...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Impacts of detritus from the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia on a soft sediment community

Taylor¹,

Bishop²,

Kelaher³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…When discovered in temperate Australia in 2000, it had already spread too widely to attempt eradication. Managers focused on controlling it with coarse sea salt in New South Wales, which was effective in small plots, had no residual effects on native biota 6 months later, but was prohibitively expensive for use in all invaded sites (Glasby et al 2005). In South Australia, a river system was diverted into an Fig.…”

Section: Two Case Histories: the Introductions Of Caulerpa And Spartinamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Invasive Species Challenge in Estuarine and Coastal Environments: Marrying Management and Science

Williams

Grosholz

2008

Estuaries and Coasts: J CERF

198

115

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Despite the widely acknowledged threat posed by invasive species in coastal estuaries, there are substantial gaps at the intersection of science and policy that are impeding invasive species management. In the face of pressing management needs in coastal and estuarine environments, we advocate that introduced species should receive the kind of management effort dedicated, for example, to reducing pollution. We support our argument with some examples of economic costs of estuarine and coastal introduced species and a summary of recent evidence for the ecological costs. We highlight some of the issues that either thwart or facilitate the successful marriage between science and management of introduced species, including the regulatory framework for management. We use the available information on coastal eradication programs, including case histories of the programs for Caulerpa taxifolia and Spartina alterniflora (and hybrids) in the western USA, to indicate the feasibility of managing introduced species and to help point out how management and science can improve the outcome. We close with a research agenda that focuses primarily on science that will really assist with invasive species management and reflects our own experience and the opinions of managers directly involved with this issue.

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“…This alga was first discovered in estuaries in central New South Wales in 2000 (Schaffelke et al 2002, Glasby et al 2005. C. taxifolia has reportedly caused problems in the Mediterranean Sea, where it has spread rapidly since its first discovery in 1984 (Meinesz et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Remote sensing and SCUBA surveys in Menton Bay and along 44% of the coast of France suggest, however, that invasion by C. taxifolia has not caused a significant reduction in the abundance of Posidonia oceanica (Jaubert et al 1999(Jaubert et al , 2003. In Australia it is yet to be established whether C. taxifolia is having a negative impact on seagrasses; however, it has been observed growing adjacent to and in seagrass beds, as well as in previously unvegetated sediments (Glasby et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish assemblages in habitats dominated by Caulerpa taxifolia and native seagrasses in south-eastern Australia

York¹,

Booth²,

Glasby³

et al. 2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Seagrass beds in estuaries are important habitats and nursery grounds for a great variety of fishes, including many economically important species. The introduction of the invasive green alga Caulerpa taxifolia could potentially threaten the seagrasses of south-eastern Australia. This study examined the implications of the spread of C. taxifolia on ichthyofauna in 2 estuaries in central New South Wales. Fish assemblages were compared among adjacent habitats of C. taxifolia and 2 seagrass species (Posidonia australis and Zostera capricorni). Fish were sampled using a small beam trawl to test for differences among habitats in (1) the species composition of the fish assemblages, (2) total abundance and species richness of fishes, and (3) abundances of major fish families. Fish assemblages separated into 3 significantly distinct groupings based on habitat. Total abundances of fishes were similar among habitats; however, species richness was lower in C. taxifolia. The fish assemblages in C. taxifolia were largely characterised by high abundances of gobiid fishes, similar to those in Z. capricorni, and few or no syngnathid and monacanthid species when compared to seagrass fish assemblages. This suggests that if C. taxifolia competitively replaces native seagrass beds in the estuaries of New South Wales, the resulting change in habitat may also cause a change in fish assemblages. This could reduce the abundances of some protected and economically important fish species but may also increase abundances of other opportunistic fishes.

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Experimental use of salt to control the invasive marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia in New South Wales, Australia

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

Impacts of detritus from the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia on a soft sediment community

Impacts of detritus from the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia on a soft sediment community

The Invasive Species Challenge in Estuarine and Coastal Environments: Marrying Management and Science

Fish assemblages in habitats dominated by Caulerpa taxifolia and native seagrasses in south-eastern Australia

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