RM
Invasive seaweed control
Invasive algae treatment. Samples of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia before (bottom) and after (top) treatment with copper ions. This alga is native to the Caribbean, but a strain capable of growing in cooler climates was introduced to the Mediterranean in the 1980s from an aquarium. Dense meadows now cover large regions and the fast- growing alga is replacing native species and decreasing biodiversity. It is also toxic to native herbivores. The copper, which is applied through an ion-selective membrane, destroys chlorophyll, the compound used to produce energy and that gives the alga its green colour.
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