An Asian Beauty... Not: Sargassum filicinum

[travelmadness]

Very definitely becoming more common as ocean going trade increases.

It has me curious as to how many of OUR SoCal species are turning up in Asian waters.

good point. i'm sure they are fighting similar problems.

 

[drbill]

I was diving in the dive park (Casino Point) twice in the past week and got so frustrated with this species that I spent most of one dive ripping it off the bottom. Any other divers witnessing this must have thought I was crazy. The Cousteau plaque was so overgrown with it that I had trouble finding the rock it was on. Removed almost all the S. filicinum that was obscuring it.

 

[Codyjp]

once the weed is torn away can it just be set adrift or does it need to be brought to the surface and discarded?

 

[drbill]

once the weed is torn away can it just be set adrift or does it need to be brought to the surface and discarded?

Ideally it should probably be burned... or used for fertilizer like the Pilgrims did with other species of "seaweed." I'm hoping it will go out to mid-channel and die due to lack of nutrients in the open water regions before it makes "beach fall."