Non-native seagrass, Halophila stipulacea, reaches northern Caribbean

Halophila stipulacea, a seagrass native to the western Indian Ocean, has become an established invader throughout the western Atlantic, where it often outcompetes native seagrass species across diverse environmental conditions. Here, we report its presence in the northern Bahamas, ca. 2300 km northwest of the first Caribbean record in Grenada and 304 km northeast of the recent observation in Florida, USA. This range expansion represents the northernmost Caribbean record to date and highlights the species’ capacity for long-distance dispersal and continued spread within the region. Our observation underscores the need for coordinated monitoring efforts to track the trajectory of this invasion and evaluate its site specific ecological consequences for Caribbean seagrass ecosystems.