OPPORTUNITY: Advanced Phytoplankton Course

The Advanced Phytoplankton Course series (APC) was initiated in the 1970s at the University of Oslo with the support of UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Subsequent Courses were held from 1985 to 2015 at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), in 2012 at the University of Copenhagen and in 2019 at the Station Biologique de Roscoff (SBR). Over the last four decades, APC has contributed to the dissemination of the vast and ever-expanding body of knowledge on phytoplankton taxonomy, which has recently gained renewed interest because of its importance for interpreting advanced high-throughput imaging and molecular data. Many of the current experts in marine phytoplankton research have been trained at previous APC editions.

The 13th Advanced Phytoplankton Course (APC13) is organized by SZN together with SBR, the IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae (IOC UNESCO / SCCHA) and Ocean Teacher Global Academy (IOC UNESCO / OTGA).

Course content

APC13 aims to provide participants with up-to-date expert knowledge on the identification and taxonomy of marine diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores and other phytoflagellates. The intensive 3-week program consists of lectures, demonstrations and practical sessions during which participants will be trained in classical techniques integrated by new approaches of automated imaging and molecular taxonomy. Participants will examine a diverse collection of preserved and live material, which will be identified with the aid of up-to-date taxonomic literature, and learn how sequence data resources can be used for identification purpose. Tutors will provide demonstrations of strain isolation and maintenance, preparation and observation of material in electron microscopy, and automated imaging tools.

In addition to criteria and methods for species identification in the different algal groups with various tools (light and electron microscopy, automated imaging tools, sequence data), course topics will include aspects of phytoplankton classification, cell ultrastructure, molecular phylogeny, biodiversity, ecology, biogeography, and harmful algal blooms.

Advise on taxonomic knowledge needed for all microalgal groups will be provided before the Course. An evaluation test will be conducted at the end of the Course.