The Seagrass Species That Is Not So Slowly Taking Over the World

3 months ago 16

When Halophila stipulacea comes to town, it outcompetes native seagrasses. That’s bad—but its spread brings unexpected benefits, too.

It started life in the Indian Ocean, hitched a ride to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal and kept pushing west. Now the fast-growing seagrass known as Halophila stipulacea is expanding in the Caribbean as waters warm, outcompeting important native grasses. It’s the definition of an invasive species.

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