Alien or endemic? Scientists diving out near Kure Atoll have found a type of red algae that is said to be new to science.
It's called Nuisance Algae, and it was first discovered in 2016 two atolls below Kure.
Brian Hauk is a resource protection specialist with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. He said they found the algae growing "cryptically" and divers had never seen it before.
Marine debris is a likely culprit of bringing the algae into the area, he added.
"It's quite likely that something could have hitchhiked that way from an area of the world where this our species grows and see what the ecosystem but now it's been introduced somewhere else, and that's growing invasively and kind of wreaking havoc on the ecosystem," Hauk said.
He added that the color of it can be anywhere from a dark purple to a light yellow color, "but it's typically, you know, green and coloration, but it is a red algae."
"It's amazing how much we don't know about our own planet. Now, we know a lot more about the moon and things than we do even the bottom of the ocean. So there's lots of stuff out there to still be discovered," Hauk said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 12, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
