| The introduced invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia is altering the appearance of algal communities in the western Mediterranean sea. A detailed study of two similar areas, one with and one without Caulerpa taxifolia, shows a drastic impoverishment of the algal community where Caulerpa has invaded. Many of the normally expected species have disappeared; firstly the fleshy species with their epiphytes, then the filamentous species and finally the crustose algae. The most marked effect is seen at the end of the summer and autumn when the Caulerpa reaches its maximum size. Hardly any epiflora is found on the Caulerpa except in spring when old branches with epiphytes predominate. In the Alpes-Maritimes region, species-poor meadows of Caulerpa taxifolia are... |
