WEBINAR: Taxonomy of needle-shaped Fragilaria to support a long-term monitoring program

Description: Phytoplankton play an important role in the monitoring of the Laurentian Great Lakes (USA), the world’s largest freshwater lake resource. However, taxonomy of phytoplankton, particularly diatoms, can be problematic due to analyst error and confusion around the taxonomy of cosmopolitan species. By carefully revising the taxonomic identity of these taxa, we attempt to resolve these issues and to provide a better understanding and knowledge of the diatoms and other phytoplankton taxa comprising the critical primary producer community. To help resolve these issues, we investigated several commonly observed needle-shaped Fragilaria taxa using microscopy and morphometric analyses.

Target Audience: general diatom-loving science community; taxonomists; scientists, managers, and others interested or involved in long-term monitoring programs.

Citation: Alexson, E.E., Reavie, E.D., Van de Vijver, B., Wetzel, C., Ector, L., Wellard Kelly, H.A., Aliff, M.N. and Estepp, L.R. (2022) Revision of the needle-shaped Fragilaria species (Fragilariaceae, Bacillariophyta) in the Laurentian Great Lakes (United States of America, Canada) Journal of Great Lakes Research doi: 10.1016/j.jglr.2022.04.006