Question

Caulerpa is an invasive alga that grows in the sea. It is native to the Caribbean Sea and the Indian Ocean, but was accidently introduced into the Mediterranean Sea in waste water. Caulerpa has now spread over large areas of seabed in the Mediterranean. Populations of native species in these areas have decreased or been wiped out. Suggest how Caulerpa can cause a decrease in the number of species living in ecosystems.​

Answer 1

• A strain of the species bred for use in aquariums has established non-native populations in waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the United States, and Australia. It is one of two species of algae listed in 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species compiled by the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group.