Kappaphycus striatum
and
K. alvarezii
Principal carrageenan producing macrophytes in tropical coastal areas
High Impact when not harvested
Introduced to north reef flat of Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay in 1974 for growth experiments
Can grow 4 to 5 % d
-1
; doubles in 15 to 30 d
2 mg tip sinks at ~1 cm s
-1
Spread at 250 m yr
-1
(Cox and Rogers 1999)
Covered 6 km in 25 yrs inside of Kaneohe Bay
Observed outside of bay at Kualoa Beach Park by 1999