Leather Mudweed
Description:
- Leathery, paddle-shaped blades connected to a compact stem
- Grows in sand, mud, and coral substrate
- Pale to dark green in color
- Can be found with other species growing on it
Concern:
- High growth rate
- Spreads by fragmentation of the fibers in the stem
- Often found on sandy bottoms, outcompeting sea grasses that feed turtles and other marine species
- Traps sediment and mud, which can create an anoxic layer
- Introduction is unknown; first reported in early 1980s
- A second species, Avrainvillea erecta, has recently been recorded near Honolulu Harbor, with concerns of additional spreading (Wade et al. 2018)
Impacts:
- Causes shift in ecosystem; what was once coral dominated is now algae dominated with low diversity
- Habitat loss greatly affects recreational and commercial fisheries
Distribution:
- Oahu: Predominantly in Maunalua Bay
- Kauai