On Saturday February 12th, staff of the St. Maarten Nature Foundation conducted research on the possible presence of H. stipulacea, an invasive seagrass, in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
The first unconfirmed, anecdotal report of a specimen of H. stipulacea being present in the Simpson Bay Lagoon was given by researchers of EcoVision in 2010, who were conducting an EIA on the construction of the Lagoon Causeway. Though no photos or documentation was produced showing the presence of the species, it was decided that based on the disconcerting nature of marine plant invasions, research be conducted on the presence of the species.
You can read more: H. Stipulacea Report (PDF)