University of California
The California Backyard Orchard
What the Heck is Rock Snot?
This icky sounding aquatic invader threatens tourism, fisheries and even hydropower facilities that depend on our streams and rivers. Why?
Rock snot, aka didymo (Didymosphaenia geminata), is a one-celled alga or diatom. Each tiny didymo grows a gelatin-like stalk it uses to attach itself to rocks, plants and just about any available surface under the water. Didymos reproduce by dividing and so do their stalks, eventually creating a branching network that feels like wet cotton or wool. Thus,...