Gracilaria Salicornia In Hawai I

Hawai’i is known as the endangered species capital of the world with the largest number of endangered species per square mile than any other place on Earth (Meditz et al., 2013). Hawai’i is called this because of an invasive algae called Gracilaria salicornia, or gorilla ogo. Studies on Gracilaria salicornia provide background information of on the specific algae. Current research also analyzes the ecology of the algae, along with how the algae affects Hawaii's economy. Additional research explains the dietary shift by green sea turtles in the Hawaiian Island region and how that is significant to the gorilla ogo. Lastly, experiments and observations have given the most efficient efforts taken to remove the invasive algae. Thus, Gracilaria …show more content…
To understand the effects of Gracilaria salicornia, one must first understand the background of the organism. Gracilaria salicornia is also known as gorilla ogo and is a seaweed from the Gracilariaceae family. The seaweed was introduced to a few areas in Hawai’i by ships coming from the Philippines (Abbott, 1998). It was later brought to specific places around the islands to develop aquaculture. Introducers hoped to gather and harvest the seaweed for commercial interests, like food and food-grade agar (Nelson et al., 1983). Today, Gracilaria salicornia can be located in coral reefs on O’ahu, Moloka’i, and the Big Island (Meditz, 2013). In the last decade, the gorilla ogo has grown …show more content…
The last survey’s controlled variables were temperature, salinity, and chemicals for control. For the survey on beach wash biomass, or the unattached Gracilaria salicornia on the beach, the beach wash was weighed on a total of 7 days. The study measured up to 1905 kilograms of wet-weighed biomass, which was found on the beach at low tide (Smith et al., 2004). The researchers concluded that the wave height has a positive effect on the biomass that collects on the beach. Extensive amounts of algae that wash ashore may prevent people from going to the beach and using the area. Popular beaches, especially tourist destinations, are affected economically by Gracilaria salicornia. Secondly, the growth rate and desiccation experiment was done. The researchers calculated that beach wash fragments grew 6.04% per day. On the other hand, reef fragments grew 10.77% per day (Smith et al., 2004). The study showed that the fragments remain viable after more than 6 hours of desiccation. Although the growth rates may seem somewhat low, the main interest is that they are still viable after drying out for so long. A minor solution would be to pick up beach wash, for it is easier to collect. This will help stop the spread and prevent the fragments from returning to the ocean at high tide. During the