Officials issue warning to US region after alarming discovery: 'It … raised a bunch of red flags'

A new ecological threat is looming in America's tropical waters, according to Hawai'i Public Radio.

What's happening?

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have detected prickly seaweed along the shores of the northwestern Hawaiian islands. 

"We were up there surveying for some other species of seaweed," said researcher Taylor Williams, per Hawai'i Public Radio. "It sort of raised a bunch of red flags for the whole team, because it had never been reported in Papahānaumokuākea before."

Papahānaumokuākea is a World Heritage site that comprises a series of islands and atolls, protected for both its ecological and cultural value. Federal and state protections in the area have proven worthwhile. Creating no-fish zones off its shores helped local tuna populations rebound, for example. 

Why are invasive species important?

Prickly seaweed is an invasive macroalgae. Once transported from their native habitat, species have the potential to outcompete other plants in their new home. This can lead to a monopoly on important resources, a decline in biodiversity, and a loss of important ecosystem services. 

Some have estimated that invasive species incur hundreds of billions of dollars of costs annually across the world. Invasive seaweed, in particular, has been a major hindrance to the fishing industry in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. 

What's being done about invasive seaweed?

Hawai'i recently launched an invasive species dashboard to help coordinate and monitor management efforts across the region. 

Besides finding physical specimens of prickly seaweed, new monitoring efforts include finding DNA traces in water samples. In the short term, officials immediately began instituting management protocols to stop the spread of prickly seaweed in Papahānaumokuākea. 

"Any permitted vessel that wants to enter Papahānaumokuākea has to adhere to strict biosecurity protocols that include things like hull inspections prior to them entering the monument, to try our best to prevent this type of thing," said NOAA's Brian Hauk, per Hawai'i Public Radio.

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