A NEW RECORD AND ERADICATION OF THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC ALGAASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM(PHAEOPHYCEAE) FROM SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA, USA

A new record of the Northern Atlantic fucoid Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis (Knotted wrack) was discovered on a shoreline in San Francisco Bay, California during a survey of intertidal habitats in 2001–2002. The alga showed no signs of deterioration 2.5 months after its initial detection. The healthy condition, presence of receptacles with developing oogonia, potential for asexual reproduction, and ability to withstand environmental conditions, both inside the Bay and on the outer Pacific coast, prompted a multiagency eradication effort. Given the relatively small area of shoreline inhabited by the alga, in combination with its absence in 125 other surveyed locations, we decided that manual removal of the seaweed would be the most environmentally sensitive yet effective eradication approach. No A. nodosum has been detected at the site since December 2002, and the species is thought to have been locally eradicated. The site continues to be monitored to assess the success of the eradication efforts.