Invasion
Invasion Description
1st record: Jamaica/Caribbean Sea ('at the close of the 17th century' (Sloane 1707, cited by Kooistra and Verbruggen 2005)
Geographic Extent
Discovery Bay/Jamaica/Caribbean Sea (Kooistra and Verbruggen 2005); Isla Roatan/Honduras/Caribbean Sea (Kooistra and Verbruggen 2005); Belize/Caribbean Sea (Guiry and Donncha 2007)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| Following a die-off of the sea urchin Diadema, and overfishing of herbivorus fishes, coral reefs around Jamaica, were overgrown by macroalgae, including Halimeda, presumably H. opuntia. The macroalgal cover prevented recruitment by coral larvae (Hughes 1994). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| Following a die-off of the sea urchin Diadema, and overfishing of herbivorus fishes, coral reefs around Jamaica, were overgrown by macroalgae, including Halimeda, presumably H. opuntia. The macroalgal cover prevented recruitment by coral larvae (Hughes 1994). | ||