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spartinaxx043_ls.JPG From left: Tyrone James of Oakland and Damon Hartley, 18 of Oakland work to rake the spartina alterniflora into piles. The East Bay Conservation Corp works on removing a fast-growing marsh grass, spartina alterniflora on 7/14/03 in Alameda. A fast growing marsh grass cropping up on the shores of San Francisco Bay looms as one of the nastiest invaders ever to hit the tidelands, enviornmentalists say. One environmental group, the Coastal Conservancy, says the grass, called spartina alterniflora, is building toward a growth explosion that threatens to choke much of the bay unless land owners join hands to stop it. The city of Alameda is trying to root out a small infestation before it gets out of hand. LEA SUZUKI / The Chronicle (Photo By LEA SUZUKI/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)