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was requested and the Mediterranean strain of C. taxifolia was banned from importa-
tion, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce by the US Department
of Agriculture (USDA) under the federal Noxious Weed Act (1999) and the federal
Plant Protection Act (2000). Before the plan could be implemented and before
importers/retailers knew about the ban, the invasive aquarium strain of C. taxifolia
was discovered in California. The US was lucky that the invasion of C. taxifolia hap-
pened in southern California. Within 3 days of contract divers finding an unfamiliar
macroalga in Agua Hediona Lagoon, specialists received and morphologically con-
firmed the unknown as C. taxifolia . DNA forensics shortly thereafter confirmed that
the unknown alga was the invasive Mediterranean strain (Jousson et al. 2000). The
Southern California Caulerpa Action Team (SCCAT) was created and included local,
state, and federal agencies, university researchers, the San Diego and Santa Ana
Regional Water Quality Control Boards, the local power company, and key local
stakeholders (Anderson 2005). Treatment combining black tarpaulins and liquid
chlorine began within days and rapidly was followed by new regulations at the state
and county levels. California legislators banned nine species of Caulerpa after a pub-
lic outcry by aquarists stated that a ban at the genus level would have dire effects on
their industry. On 25 September 2001, California Fish and Game Code 2300 became
law and prohibited the sale, possession, import, transport, transfer, release, or giving
away of C. taxifolia, C. cupressoides, C. mexicana, C. setularioides, C. floridana,
C. ashmeadii, C. racemosa, C. verticillata , and C. scapelliformis . All banned species
were either known to be invasive in some location or were feathery look-alikes of
C. taxifolia . Possession was permitted only for scientific research and any violators
were subject to a civil penalty of not less than $500 and not more than $10,000 for
each violation. Next, the city of San Diego, California adopted an ordinance that pro-
hibited the sale and possession of all Caulerpa species within city limits. This com-
prehensive ban demonstrated the commitment of the city to protect its coastal
resources. At the federal level in the USA, a National Management Plan was released
in October 2005 for the genus Caulerpa . On a positive side, the plan identified
research information gaps and how these gaps should be addressed. It also provided
much-needed funding for research and outreach. The plan, however, did not have
strong wording to create a federal ban at the genus or species level, so some states
(Oregon, Massachusetts, South Carolina) were proactive and banned all strains of C.
taxifolia . Dr. Susan Williams submitted a federal petition to increase the ban to the
genus or species level. Williams correctly argued that current US regulations do not
protect ecosystems from invasive Australian strains or other invasive strains not yet
described. She also argued that the current regulation relies on expensive, time-con-
suming DNA technology. This petition has not yet been resolved.
In spite of the US regulations, Walters et al. (2006) found that of 60 eBay auc-
tions, only four vendors provided information on interstate transport regulations for
C. taxifolia . eBay stated that the sellers, not eBay, were responsible for knowing all
federal and state regulations for all live plant products sold and that vendors stand
to have their accounts suspended and forfeit all eBay fees on cancelled listings for
breaking regulations. With internet commercial retailers, the ratio was similar with
only 2 of 30 providing consumers with information on Caulerpa restrictions. Some
large internet distributors now provide fact sheets promoting alternatives to release
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