"This loss of over half of initial cover is of great concern, signifying habitat loss for the tens of thousands of species associated with tropical coral reefs, " the authors wrote in their study.
The initial research was carried out on GM tobacco plants but, if it proves applicable to other species, it may make GM crops' worldwide spread unstoppable.
However, he says that the initial success of this project over such a large scale offers hope that the tide of established invasive species can be turned.