Environmental factors associated with the distribution of non-native starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) in a Lake Ontario coastal wetland

Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) was likely introduced to the Laurentian Great Lakes via ballast water in the late 1970s. Since its introduction, little research has been conducted to determine the extent of its spread throughout the Great Lakes basin or to explore the environmental variables associated with its distribution. This is partly because, outside of its native range, N. obtusa is not often differentiated from other native …