Caulerpa Conquest: A Biological Eradication on the California Coast

Eric Noel Muñoz

jul 2016 · Open Books Press

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Rarely have global battles in the war on invasive species been successful. Even tougher is fighting a mutant genetic clone of a natural counterpart on a marine coast. The first known Western Hemisphere detection of the invasive seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia occurred in Southern California, at San Diego County's Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad. Caulerpa Conquest is the true story of the 2000 to 2006 precedent-setting local eradication effort inspired by missed opportunities and lessons learned from the Mediterranean Sea. City staff planner, designated agency liaison, lagoon foundation president, and agent for continued creative outreach through 2015, Eric Noel Muñoz connects the dots from local lagoon waters to foreign coastlines, including Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, France, and Monaco. 

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 Eric Noel Muñoz had various roles with the eradication of Caulerpa taxifolia from Carlsbad’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon in California. As a Carlsbad city staff planner, he served as a liaison between the community and the multi-agency Southern California Caulerpa Action Team. As President and board member of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation he promoted outreach events. A native of coastal southern California, he is a life-long ocean lover with a physical geography degree from San Diego State University. He has visited various American, foreign, and Mediterranean coastlines, made public presentations, and is a TED-Educator with an animated video on Caulerpa taxifolia. Also serving as vice president for the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, he is committed to promoting awareness for coastal environmental issues worldwide.