Development of species pages included collaboration with contributors Ian Bishop, Elizabeth Alexson, Shelly Wu and Lynn Brant. In addition to the microscope laboratory at SCWRS, research facilities at St. Cloud State University, the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory were used for literature and research species morphology. Herbarium collections were accessed from SCWRS, INSTAAR and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia (ANS) from projects funded by the State of Minnesota, National Park Service, EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

In the process of completing these pages, three papers were published to correct nomenclatural and taxonomic issues that came to light during species page preparation—issues that had to be corrected before new species pages could go public. The journal, Notulae Algarum, an electronic journal created by Algaebase founder, Michael Guiry, has a specific focus to rectify nomenclatural issues among algae, is designed for rapid publication, and was a perfect outlet for these works. One of these publications, Rarick et al. (2017), resulted from collaboration of an undergraduate student, teaching assistant, and faculty from the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Systematics and Ecology of diatoms course.

In addition, we used a unique opportunity through the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) to connect citizen science to research. SMM opens its research areas to the general public and museum members several times a year and the SCWRS often lets kids have the experience of viewing the micro-world through research grade microscopes. At one of these events, called Members Behind the Scenes, Mark Edlund and visitors located and measured specimens of Lindavia bodanica and Hannaea superiorensis. As a result, public vistors had the opportunity to contribute images and measurements to construct new species pages.

Related Citations:

Daniels, W.C. and Edlund, M.B. 2016.The valid transfer of Cyclotella bodanica var. intermedia to Lindavia (Bacillariophyceae). Notulae Algarum 14, 1-3.

Edlund, M.B., Burge, D.R.L. and Spaulding, S.A. 2017. The transfer of Navicula cuspidata var. obtusa to Craticula (Bacillariophyceae). Notulae Algarum 19, 1-2.

Rarick, J., Wu. S., Lee, S.S. and Edlund, M.B. 2017. The valid transfer of Stauroneis goeppertiana to Luticola (Bacillariophyceae). Notulae Algarum 29, 1-3.
 

Funding

  • Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water

    - Mark Edlund, David Burge

Participants

Mark Edlund

Content Editor, Centric Diatoms Diatoms of North America, Editoral Review Board

Senior Scientist Science Museum of Minnesota

David R.L. Burge

Content Editor, Araphid and Centric Diatoms Diatoms of North America, Editoral Review Board

Assistant Scientist St. Croix Watershed Research Station

Phytoplankton Scientist Natural Resources Research Institute

Adjunct Faculty Iowa Lakeside Laboratory/Ecology and Systemmatics of Diatoms

Elizabeth Alexson

Research Staff Scientist Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth

Ian Bishop

Content Editor, Araphid Diatoms Diatoms of North America, Editoral Review Board

Graduate Student Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island

Lynn Brant

Emeritus Professor of Geology University of Northern Iowa

Jaclyn Rarick

Undergraduate student University of Iowa

Shelly Wu

Diatom Enthusiast

Mark Rock Pool
Image Credit: Alaina Fedie
Mark Edlund sampling rock pools for diatoms on Lake Superior at Isle Royale National Park.
Markmbssmm2
Image Credit: David Burge
Mark Edlund with visitors making measurements of diatom populations for species pages at the SMM Members Behind the Scenes event.
Ian  Philly
Image Credit: David Burge
Ian Bishop placing immersion oil on the condenser on the research microscope at the ANS Diatom Herbarium.
Dminstaar
Image Credit: David Burge
David Burge (foreground) and Meredith Tyree (background) working on microscopes at INSTAAR, University of Colorado.