Abstract
San Francisco Bay is home to the most invaded aquatic ecosystem in North America, with at minimum, 212 introduced species, 16 of which are plants and protists (Cohen and Carlton, 1995 Nonnative algae can be transported to new locations in many ways, including biofouling and rafting, as well as acting as a raft itself (Thiel and Gutow 2005 Most marine algae reproduce through sexual reproduction, some reproduce asexually in addition to sexually, and some reproduce mainly through asexual means, such as fission and fragmentation Fragmenting species of algae may have an advantage over non-fragmenting algae These algae can re settle on the bottom of the bay or in intertidal areas nearby and begin growing and spreading Ceccherelli and Cinelli 1999 The ability to fragment easily, disperse widely, and successfully settle in a short time span likely enhances the ability of algae species to spread and establish (Smith et al 2002 This study will focus on biomechanical aspects of algae that can lead to increased fragmentation and how water movement can create fragments of macroalgae commonly found in the San Francisco Bay.