SAN DIEGO, CA — An algae that has destroyed more than 10,000 acres of habitat off the coasts of France, Spain, Monaco, and Italy in the 1980s has been found near San Diego, CA—the first time it has been confirmed on the west coast of the US. "This algae eliminates kelp beds and poses an extreme danger to flora and fauna in the area," said Bob Hoffmann, Southern California environmental coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Service. Divers discovered the algae June 12 while monitoring eel grass for a power plant. The bright green algae was commonly sold for aquariums until it was banned last year by federal law. The plant was introduced to an aquarium in Stuttgart, Germany, in the 1980s and then to aquariums in Europe, Japan, and South Africa. There is speculation that it genetically mutated, perhaps because of exposure to the ultraviolet light used in aquariums. The newly found patch measures 60 feet by 30 feet and will be destroyed. The algae likely ended up in the sea after someone emptied the contents of their aquarium into a storm drain or the lagoon.