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Project Noah Nature School
Eichhornia crassipes
Invasive species
Spotted along canal banks at Okefenokee Swamp Park (Waycross entrance to Okefenokee NWR)
First introduced to North America in 1884, an estimated 50 kilograms per square metre of hyacinth once choked Florida's waterways, although the problem there has since been mitigated.[citation needed] When not controlled, water hyacinth will cover lakes and ponds entirely; this dramatically impacts water flow, blocks sunlight from reaching native aquatic plants, and starves the water of oxygen, often killing fish (or turtles).
Spotted on Apr 6, 2012
Submitted on Feb 11, 2013
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