Green Tomorrow

Well, that’s one way to get rid of those troublesome algae: use an underwater vacuum cleaner to suck them clear off the reefs. Biologists in Hawaii are using devices known as “Super Suckers” to eliminate tons of gorilla ogo, a species of invasive algae that is killing coral reefs, fouling beaches and smothering beds of sea grass. Invasive algae have long been considered a grave threat because of their ability to outcompete local algal communities and coral alike, allowing them to gradually take over the reefs and, in so doing, drastically reduce species diversity in the area.

Super Suckers are made up of a pump and a tube to su…