The non-native algae grows so fast it could destroy the Indian River Lagoon's habitat.

By Suzanne Wentley staff writer April 20, 2003

Port St. Lucie News

Environmental activists have planned a number of meetings with state scientists in an effort to stop the spread of an exotic algae found in the Indian River Lagoon.

A fast-growing algae native to the Pacific Ocean, known as Caulerpa brachypus, was first seen in the lagoon off Jensen Beach in early March. Since then, those concerned with marine life in area waters have pushed for action to stop the algae from destroying the lagoon habitat.

"We're at the beginning of 156 miles of the most diverse estuary in North America," said Kevin Stinnette, the Treasure Coast Environmental Defense Fund's riverkeeper for the lagoon. "It may be time to yell 'fire.' I don't know."

Stinnette and the St. Lucie County Conservation Alliance have called an "emergency" meeting to discuss the algae at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Fort Pierce Library.

Officials with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, whose senior scientist Brian Lapointe has been studying the same algae plaguing coral reefs off Juno Beach, also plan a boat trip April 29 to examine the spread of the species, which has also been found near the Jupiter Inlet.

The Martin County Commission will discuss the topic at 3:30 p.m. May 6.

Martin County Commissioner Doug Smith said the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program board, of which he is a member, will also meet next week in Melbourne to address the problem.

What activists fear is that the algae, which floats and spreads quickly in nutrient-rich waters, will compete with sea grasses for sunlight, killing the grasses that provide habitat for juvenile fish and food for manatees.

Karen Steidinger, a senior research scientist with the Florida Marine Research Institute in St. Petersburg, said the state Harmful Algae Bloom Task Force plans to meet this summer to discuss the spread of the algae.

The task force previously allotted $75,000 to Lapointe to study the distribution of the algae on the coral reefs off Palm Beach County, where scientists suspect the algae was dumped with ballast water from ships at the port.

Steidinger said the group of scientists no longer has state money to distribute, and no study is under way to analyze the situation in the lagoon.

The meeting Wednesday should create a plan to "appeal for resources needed to establish where it is, how toxic it is, how quickly it spreads and what conditions create a positive environment for it to grow," Stinnette said.

Smith said the estuary program board will vote on a budget Wednesday that could make money available for such a study.

"There are already some funds potentially out there for this," he said. "Now the issue is, who should do the research? We need to bring everyone together and talk about it."

- suzanne.wentley@scripps.com