Gorilla OgoGracilaria salicornia

http://www.raingarden.us/gracillaria%20salicornia.jpg

Characteristics and Appearance  of Gorilla Ogo

• Found in tidepools and/or reef flats

• Brittle seaweed with cylindrical branches 2-5mm in diameter

 • Yellowish if growing in sunny spots

 • Dark green or brownish when growing

in shaded areas •  Branching irregular

 •  Forked at tips with tips bluntly

rounded

• Reproduces Asexually     

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/coral/images/gorillaogo2.jpg

http://www.hawaii.edu/malamalama/2006/01/images/f4_algaeseaweed.jpg

Origin of the Gracilaria salicornia• Gracilaria salicornia

• Widespread in tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans

• Introduce to Hawaii by Philippine ships

• Found in Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, Big Island

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/ocean.jpeg

First Found in Hilo Bay in 1971& introduce in Kaneohe Bay &Waikiki in 1970s.

http://www.hawaii.edu/reefalgae/invasive_algae/rhodo/gracilaria_salicornia.htm

Gorilla Ogo's "niche" on the community• A producer that lives in the ocean

and grows over coral, choking it and later kills it.

• Has major effects on Hawaiian oceans, like changing the ocean's temperature

 • Most effects are negative

 • Invades Hawaiian oceans and

beaches • Floats on shores of beaches

 • Spreads quickly through loose

branches floating to different places

Above: Gorilla Ogo covers hawaii's reef on ocean floor.

http://kauaian.net/blog/wp-content/themes/default/images/sushi/

super-sucker-algae.jpg

Gorilla Ogo's "niche" in its community (Continued)

CONS• Grows over coral reef rapidly &

kills the coral/ seaweed• Increases temperature on ocean

floor•  Prevents coral from growing•  Washes to shore, polluting the

beaches• Drives fishes away from their

original homes• Lessens diversity of coral reef

ecosystem• Changes food web and food

chains of coral reef ecosystem• Changes nutrient distribution and

cyling of coral reef ecosystem

 

PROS• Fish food for passing

fish• Used as composting

and fertilizer for taro farmers in Hawaii

       

http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/gorillaogo.html

Out-Competing Competitors

Gorilla Ogo is able to out-compete it competitors because:

• Nothing really eats it. Very few fishes eat the seaweed.• It has no predators• Grows quickly and very invasive

http://kauaian.net/blog/wp-content/themes/default/images/sushi/

super-sucker-algae.jpg

http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/April-2004/Unwanted-Dead-Or-Alive/

http://cnnscitech.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/algaehimag1.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/gorilla%20ogo%20affect%20environment/catelito2/gorillaogo.jpg

Reasons for Success in Hawaii

The gorilla ogo is so successful in Hawaii because:• Grows quickly• Primarily spread by fragmentation • Large amounts of algae wash ashore on beaches

http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/gorillaogo.html

Biological Problems Caused by Gorilla Ogo

• Grows quickly, covering massive parts of the reef

 • Thick texture and overgrowth cause

suffocation, killing coral and other seaweeds

 •  Reduces space for young new coral to

attach to the reef and grow •  Not a prefered food source for many

reef dwellers •  Changes bottom habitat, limiting

access to holes and crevices for larger animals

http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/April-2004/Unwanted-Dead-Or-Alive/

Economical Problems Caused by Gorilla Ogo

• Costs attributable to invasive species in the United States amount to approximately $137 billion each year

 • U.S. agricultural cost alone round to about

$72.7 billion

http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/gorillaogo.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_64TjEH6aotA/R7yWBuqRzoI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Ga0IqgyqzJU/s200/Print_SS_Uchino20.jpg

Impact on Hawaii's Ecosystems & Native Species Displacement

• Known to compete with a native reef algae, G. Coronopifolia, for area on the reef flat

 •  Thick patches of Gorilla Ogo block

corals from sunlight and the flow of fresh seawater which kills them

 •  Smothers beds of sea grass

 •  Rice coral is disappearing due to

enlargement of Gorilla Ogo species •  Animals such as turtles and smaller fish

are forced to find new areas of rest due to the limited space on the reef caused by large mats of Gorilla Ogo

 

http://coreyfischer.com/images/hawaii_collection/rice_coral.jpg

Above: Disappearing

Rice Coral

Impact on Hawaii's Ecosystem & Native Species Displacement

(Cont.)

• Populations of algae-eating fish and sea urchins declined

 •  High diversity coral communities shift to

algae dominated reefs • Greatly reduced species diversity caused by

reduced coral diversity  

http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/10/24/super%20sucker%20algae-jj-002.jpg

The lesser diversity an ecosystem contains, the more unstable it is.

What is being done about the Gorilla Ogo?• Marine biologists are very aware of

this invasive species

•  They are letting the community know about the invasive seaweed

• Citizens are manually picking invasive seaweed, but not the most productive way to get rid of the Gorilla Ogo

• Scuba divers are vacuuming the Gorilla Ogo, which more efficient than doing by hand

• SUPER SUCKER PROJECT by Nature Conservancy & UH Mānoa

http://themolokaidispatch.com/files/images/web%20pic.

img_assist_custom.jpgAbove: A man picks Gorilla ogo from a local pond in moloka'i.

What is being done about the Gorilla Ogo? (continued)

• Government organization called, "The Division of Aquatic Resources” DAR

• Mālama Mauna Lua Bay

• HEAR & HISC

• Nature Conservancy & UH Mānoa

•  Another government organization called "Aquatic Resources Monit0ring”

• ʻAʻohe Limu ʻe- Alien Algae clean -up

 

Contact them at:•     Division of Aquatic Resources

    1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330    Honolulu, HI 96813

    Phone: 808-587-0100    FAX: 808-587-0115    email: DLNR.aquatics@hawaii.gov

Ask for Dan Pulhemus, administrator of Division of Aquatic Resources

(808) 643-PEST

•     Design & Analysis Team    US EPA    200 SW 35th St

    Corvallis, OR 97333 Contact Robert Nishimoto, Head of

Design & Analysis Team

What can be done by the government to remove Gorilla

Ogo?• Make commercials about invasive seaweed

 Bring the problem to public's attention Get others to help clean infested beaches

 • Publicate more local beach clean- up events

Good for the environment Multiple people will clean coral faster Makes a good outing event for family and

friends

• Have educational opportunities to teach the problem in various school via environmental fairs

• Removal or clean-up of the invasive seaweed

THE MAIN IDEA...• GRACILARIA SALICORNIA IS AN INVASIVE SEAWEED

THAT ALTERS THE CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM • GRACILARIA SALICORNIA IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING

THE DIVESITY OF THE OCEANS • GRACILARIA IS ALSO AFFECTING OUR  ECONOMY

         (no fish = less fishing = less fish to sell = less money)

• WE MUST PROTECT THE OCEAN AND ITS RESOURCES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS!

THE GORILLA OGO CAN BE STOPPED, BUT WE NEED EVERYONES HELP TO GET RID OF THIS INVASIVE

SEAWEED TO MAKE HAWAI'I A BETTER PLACE!

Bibliography"An Introduction to Invasive Alien Algae in Hawaii: Ecological and Economic Impacts." SGNIS: Sea Grant Nonindigenous Species. Web. 29 Sept. 2009. http://sgnis.org/publicat/squasmith.htm.

 "Aquatic Resource Monitoring." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. http://www.epa.gov/nheerl/arm/. 

"Gorilla ogo (Gracilaria salicornia)." Hawaii Invasive Species Partnerships. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. <http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/gorillaogo.html>.

Gorilla ogo (Gracilaria salicornia)." Hawaii Invasive Species Partnerships. Web. 25 Sept. 2009. <http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/gorillaogo.html>.

Index of /blog/wp-content/themes/default/images/sushi." Sustainable Hawaii? island sustainability data, maps,blog, training from Kauai. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://kauaian.net/blog/wp-content/themes/default/images/sushi/.

"Issg Database: Ecology of." IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). Web. 30 Sept. 2009. <http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?s=1026&fr=1&sts=>.

"New Page 1." University of Hawaii System. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. <http://www.hawaii.edu/reefalgae/natives/sgfieldguide.htm>.

""Super Suckers" Slurp Invasive Algae Off Reefs." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070730-super-sucker.html>.

""Super Suckers" Slurp Invasive Algae Off Reefs -." DuikForum.nl. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. <http://www.duikforum.nl/duik-nieuws-engels/16708-super-suckers-slurp-invasive-algae-off-reefs.html>.

"SusHI | Sustainability in Hawai`i » sucking Hawaii’s reefs: gorilla ogo’s gotta go." Sustainable Hawaii? island sustainability data, maps,blog, training from Kauai. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. <http://kauaian.net/blog/?p=862>.

"Unwanted: Dead Or Alive - Hawaii Business - April 2004 - Hawaii." Hawaii Business Magazine - Industry, Employers, Finance - Honolulu, HI. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. <http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/April-2004/Unwanted-Dead-Or-Alive/>.