"Super Suckers" Slurp Invasive Algae

In the battle against an exotic seaweed, biologists are employing a rather unusual solution: underwater vacuum cleaners. The cleanersu"called Super Suckersu"suck up tons of gorilla ogo, invasive algae that are killing coral reefs, smothering sea grass beds, and fouling beaches in Hawaii. "The algae invasion poses the largest current threat to the health of reefs in Hawaii," said Cynthia Hunter, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii. Thick coatings of algae can kill corals by blocking them from sunlight and flows of fresh seawater. Some species have been particularly affected, Hunter said, including a species of rice coral that is now rapidly disappearing...