Specifically, a Florida west coast aquarium dealer shipped live Hydrilla from Sri Lanka under the common name "Indian star-vine."[11] After these plants were considered unsatisfactory, they were dumped into a canal near Tampa Bay, where they flourished.[11] By 1955, the plants found their way from Tampa to Miami as they were transported for cultivation and pet trade sale.[11] It is believed that several undocumented cases of accidental or careless releases followed, as there was extensive spread of the Hydrilla throughout Florida and the southeastern U.S
As an invasive species in Florida, Hydrilla has become the most serious aquatic weed problem for Florida and most of the U.S. Because it was such a threat as an invasive species, restrictions were placed to allow only a single type of chemical, fluridone, to be used as a herbicide. This was done to prevent the evolution of multiple mutants, and resulted in fluridone resistant Hydrilla. “As Hydrilla spread rapidly to lakes across the southern United States in the past, the expansion of resistant biotypes is likely to pose significant environmental challenges in the future.”[12]
Hydrilla populations have caused economic, environmental, and ecological damage.[10] Hydrilla is known to be an aggressive and competitive plant, even out-competing and displacing native species, such as pondweedsand eelgrass.[11][13][14] Due to its competitive nature, Hydrilla has created monocultures, an area dominated by a singular species, rather than having a balance among many species, like in a normal ecosystem.[14]
In Australia, Hydrilla can become invasive if the nutrient levels are raised in disturbed ecosystems, though is not generally known to be problematic.
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Originally Posted by PASCOFISHBOY
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