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Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T19:58:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-05-05 NSF Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Polish Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education grant Since the first phylogenetic study of the order Batrachospermales, Batrachospermum was shown to be paraphyletic. Subsequently, sections of the genus have been methodically investigated using DNA sequences and morphology in order to propose new genera and delineate species. Batrachospermum section Turfosa is the last section with multiple species yet to be examined. New sequence data of specimens from Europe and the United States were combined with the sparse sequence data already available. Phylogenetic analyses using rbcL and COI-5P sequences showed this section to be a well-supported clade, distinct from Batrachospermum section Batrachospermum and its segregate genera. Section Turfosa is raised to the generic rank as Paludicola gen. nov. Substantial genetic variation within the genus was discovered and 12 species are recognized based on DNA sequence data as well as morphological characters and geographic distribution. The following morphological characters were applied to distinguish species: branching pattern (pseudodichotomous or irregular), whorl size (reduced or well developed), primary fascicles (curved or straight), spermatangia origin (primary or secondary fascicles), and carposporophyte arrangement (loose or dense). Previously published species were transferred to the new genus: P. turfosa, P. keratophyta, P. orthosticha, P. phangiae, and P. periploca. Seven new species are proposed as follows: P. groenbladii from Europe; P. communis, P. johnhallii, and P. leafensis from North America; and P. aquanigra, P. diamantinensis, and P. turfosiformis from Brazil. In addition, three unsequenced species in the section, P. bakarensis, P. gombakensis, and P. tapirensis, were transferred to the new genus. Ohio Univ, Dept Environm & Plant Biol, Athens, OH 45701 USA PAS, Dept Freshwater Biol, Inst Nat Conservat, Al A Mickiewicza 33, PL-31120 Krakow, Poland Sinkilatie 13, FI-40530 Jyvaskyla, Finland Granada Univ, Dept Bot, Granada 18071, Spain Univ Alabama, Dept Biol Sci, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Bot & Zool, Rua Cristovao Colombo 2265, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Bot & Zool, Rua Cristovao Colombo 2265, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil NSF: DEB0936855 NSF: DEB1655230 FAPESP: 12/12016-6 FAPESP: 16/07808-1 Polish Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education grant: N N304 285937

Freshwater red algae have been collected on the African continent since the early 1800s. However, the collections have been sparse and geographically restricted. The present study sought to bring t...

Members of the freshwater red algal order Batrachospermales are often described as shade-adapted. Nevertheless, recent ecophysiological studies have demonstrated species-level differences in acclimation to a range of irradiances. Lympha mucosa occurs in open and shaded portions of temperate streams and is abundant during summer months, suggesting it tolerates high and low irradiances. Specimens of L. mucosa were collected from open (sun-acclimated) or shaded (shade-acclimated) sites and exposed to low (

In southeastern Ohio, active remediation of streams affected by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) has proven to be successful for some streams, while others have not recovered based on macroinvertebrate assessment. In this study, biofilms were collected from three Moderately Impaired, three Recovered, and two Unimpaired streams. The biodiversity was characterized by metabarcoding using two universal barcode markers (16S and 18S) along with two algal specific markers (UPA and rbcL) and high-throughput amplicon sequencing. For each marker, the ordination of Bray-Curtis Index calculated from the total Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) present in each stream showed the Unimpaired and Recovered streams clustered, while Moderately Impaired streams were more distant. Focusing on the algal ASVs, the Shannon index for the rbcL, and UPA markers showed significantly lower alpha diversity in Moderately Impaired streams compared to Unimpaired streams, but the Recovered streams were not significantly different from the other two stream categories. The two universal markers together captured all algal phyla providing an outline of the diversity, but the two algal specific markers produced a greater number of ASVs and taxonomic depth for algal taxa. Further examination of the UPA marker revealed a drastic decrease in relative abundance of diatoms in Moderately Impaired streams compared to Recovered and Unimpaired streams. Likewise, diatom genera identified in the rbcL data and indicative of stream water quality showed marked differences in relative abundance among stream categories. Although all markers were useful, the algal-specific UPA and rbcL contributed more insights into algal community differences among stream categories.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:40:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-06-01 Most genera of the freshwater red algal order Batrachospermales have been systematically revised using molecular and morphological data, but Sirodotia Kylin remains to be thoroughly reviewed. In this investigation, DNA sequence data for the rbcL, COI-5P and LSU markers of specimens collected worldwide were combined with morphological observations to assess their specifc diversity, infer their relationships and evaluate the morphological characters relevant for species identifcation. Phylogenetic analyses showed the genus to be a monophyletic lineage with high support. Inter-and intra-specifc divergence values were well-delineated with higher interspecifc (2.1-7% and 4.4-10.5%) and lower intraspecifc (0-2.4% and 0-3.8%) variations for rbcL and COI-5P sequences, respectively. LSU sequences revealed lower interspecifc divergence values than the COI-5P sequences (0.7-3.3%) indicating less resolution as a barcode marker. Nine species are recognized based on DNA sequence data, morphological characters and geographic distribution. Five species were previously described (S. assamica Necchi, Rossignolo, Yasmin, J.A.West & Ganesan, S. delicatula Skuja, S. huillensis (Welwitsch ex West & GSWest) Skuja, S. kennedyi A.L.Szinte, J.C.Taylor & M.L.Vis and S. suecica Kylin) and four new species are proposed (S. amazonica Necchi, N.L.Rossignolo & M.O.Paiano, sp. nov., S. aquiloamericana Necchi, N.L.Rossignolo & M.L.Vis, sp. nov., S. cryptica Necchi, N.L.Rossignolo & M.O.Paiano, sp. nov. and S. delicatuliformis Necchi, N.L.Rossignolo & M.O.Paiano, sp. nov.). Diagnostic characters for the genus are confrmed to be carpogonia asymmetric with a basal protuberance and carposporophytes di?use with indeterminant prostrate flaments producing determinate erect branches terminating in carposporangia. Te following morphological characters were applied to distinguish species: primary fascicle cell number, spermatangial arrangement, origin of gonimoblast flament and size of carposporangia. Based on morphology, S. sinica, S. segawae and S. yutakae are proposed as synonyms of S. suecica and S. ateleia Skuja of S. delicatula. Te status of three species (S. cirrhosa Skuja ex M.S.Balakr. & B.B.Chaugule, S. gardneri Skuja ex Flint and S. huangshanensis Z.X.Shi & S.L.Xie) could not be confrmed due to lack of type specimens and published information on informative diagnostic characters. São Paulo State University Zoology and Botany Department Cristóvão Colombo 2265 Ohio University Department of Environmental and Plant Biology University of Hawaï School of Life Sciences School of Biosciences 2 University of Melbourne Oceanographic Institute Universidad de Oriente Nowgong College Botany Department Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES) University of Malaya São Paulo State University Zoology and Botany Department Cristóvão Colombo 2265

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T15:01:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness FPI research grant Fifty-four streams of the Iberian Peninsula were investigated to document the species richness and phylogeny of Batrachospermum and morphologically similar genera, determine phylogenctic affinities of taxa and infer biogeographic trends. Species were identified using morphology and DNA sequence data for the rbcL gene as follows: Batrachospermum gelatinosun:, B. pozoazulense, Paludicola keratophvta, Sheathia arcuata, S. boryana, S. confusa, Torularia atra, Virescentia helminthosa, V. vogesiaca, and Volatus carrionii. Batrachospermum gelatinosum and S. boryana were most frequent (sampled from 16 and 11 streams, respectively). Torularia atra and V. vogesiaca were each collected in a single stream, whereas the other five taxa were present in three to six streams. Virescentia vogesiaca is well known from other parts of Europe but had previously not been reported from the Iberian Peninsula. Biogeographic trends based on DNA sequence data show a flora with most species being well represented in parts of Europe, two taxa (B. gelatinosum and V. carrionii) that are shared between Europe and North America, one between Europe and South America (Paludicola keratophyta) and one cosmopolitan species (T. atra). Previous studies reported twelve taxa in the region using current taxonomy. This study has confirmed seven of these taxa with sequence data and morphology. Granada Univ, Bot Dept, Granada 18071, Spain Ohio Univ, Dept Environm & Plant Biol, Athens, OH 45701 USA Sao Paulo State Univ, Zool & Bot Dept, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil Fac Biol, Dept Plant Biol, Lab Algol, Espinardo Campus, Murcia 30100, Spain Victoria Univ Wellington, Sch Biol Sci, Wellington 6041, New Zealand Sao Paulo State Univ, Zool & Bot Dept, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness: CGL2009-09563 FPI research grant: BES-2010-031303

In recent years, sections of the paraphyletic genus Batrachospermum have been investigated using DNA sequence data, as well as morphology and some have been raised to genera in order to resolve this paraphylly. The species of Batrachospermum section Virescentia form a well-supported clade and we propose the raising of this section to the genus Virescentia stat. nov. In addition, we re-evaluated the characters used to circumscribe species by reexamination of type specimens and new collections in historically important areas. Of the eleven previously accepted species, we recognize five species and a new species is proposed as follows: V. crispata, V. gulbenkiana (synomyms V. azeredoi and V. ferreri), V. helminthosa (type species), V. viride-americana sp. nov., V. viride-brasiliensis and V. vogesiaca. The species are circumscribed on the basis of morphological characteristics (shape of fascicles, occurrence of secondary fascicles, disposition of carpogonial branches and size of carpogonia), geographic distribution, and DNA sequence data (rbcL and COI-5P). Descriptions, identification key and photomicrographs are presented for each recognized species. Two potential species from Japan based on DNA sequence data remained undescribed due to lack of voucher specimens for morphological observation. Other species previously assigned to the section Virescentia are referred to other genera of Batrachospermales based on morphology (disposition of carpogonial branches, shape of trichogynes, types of gonimoblast filaments and arrangement of carposporophytes).

Collections of Batrachospermales from 13 stream sites in North America (Canada and United States), Europe (Spain) and Asia (China) were examined. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences data from the plastid-encoded ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit gene (rbcL) and the mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome oxidase 1 gene barcode region (COI-5P), along with morphological studies, suggested that these collections represent new taxa. Three species in a proposed new genus Volatus are described: V. carrionii sp. nov., V. personatus sp. nov. and V. ulterior sp. nov. Four new species of Batrachospermum sensu stricto are also described: B. dapsile sp. nov., B. naiadis sp. nov., B. pozoazulense sp. nov. and B. shanxiense sp. nov. Taxa proposed based on the molecular analyses were in many cases difficult to distinguish with unique morphological characters. The new genus Volatus shares the distinctive characteristic of twisted or curled carpogonium-bearing branches with Kumanoa and Tuomey...

The aim of this study was a combined and multifaceted characterization (morphological, molecular, lipid, pigment, and ecological data) of a Lemanea (freshwater red alga) population from the south-eastern Alps, exploring its adaptive strategies to the montane habitat, (turbulent, very-cold glacial stream with extremely low-conductivity). Although the thalli were small (only up to 1 cm), the morphology was within the current circumscription of Lemanea fluviatilis. The molecular data placed this population within a clade of specimens identified as L. fluviatilis and L. fucina. This L. fluviatilis population was determined to possess lipid classes, especially phosphatidylcholine and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol with high unsaturation index (UI) and long acyl chains, which are typical adaptations for maintaining adequate membrane fluidity and consequently all the metabolic processes associated to the plasma membrane. The carotenoids profile revealed that, besides α /β-carotene, there are significant amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein. This study further demonstrated that red algae are a rich source of important food web w-3 fatty acids and may play an important role in the diets of grazers. L. fluviatilis is reported from one of the highest elevations (2,170 m a.s.l.) known for the genus Lemanea and this species. This study confirms the presence of L. fluviatilis in a cold, unpolluted, turbulent stream and this type of stream may be its preferred habitat.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a global consequence of historical and present day mining activities. Remediation efforts have been successful in improving water quality with elevated pH and decreased dissolved metals. In many streams, there has been chemical and biological recovery, but success is not universal. The goal of restoration should be to improve not only biological diversity but also stream function. We compared biofilm community characteristics and function from three stream categories (AMD-unimpaired, AMD-impaired, and AMD-remediated) in southeastern Ohio. Biofilms of the AMD-impaired and AMD-remediated sites had the lowest concentrations of chlorophyll a and the lowest rates of productivity and respiration. AMD-impaired streams had reduced pH and increased dissolved metal (iron, aluminum, and manganese) concentrations. Specific conductance was elevated in both the AMD-impaired and AMD-remediated streams. Water at the AMD-impacted and AMD-remediated sites had significantly lower soluble reactive phosphorus concentration compared to AMD-unimpaired sites. Biofilm extracellular enzyme activities showed an increase in biomass-specific phosphorus-acquiring enzymes in AMD-impaired and AMD-remediated sites. These results suggest phosphorus limitation is occurring in AMD-impaired and AMD-remediated streams, potentially limiting or delaying biotic recovery even though water chemistry has improved.

The informal "Australasica Group" was established in 2009 to include several Australasian endemic Batrachospermum species, a few species of the cosmopolitan Batrachospermum section Setacea, and the South American endemic Petrohua bernabei. Although useful for communication purposes, no formal taxonomic designation was proposed due to weakly supported basal nodes. The present research took a two-pronged approach of adding more taxa (29 additional specimens) as well as more sequence data (LSU, cox1, psaA, and psbA markers added to rbcL data) to provide better resolution. The resulting tree showed improved statistical support values (Bayesian posterior probability and maximum likelihood bootstrap) for most nodes providing a framework for taxonomic revision. Based on our well-resolved phylogeny, a new genus, Nocturama, is proposed for a clade of Batrachospermum antipodites specimens. The circumscription of Nothocladus is expanded to include Batrachospermum section Setacea and four additional sections composed of at least 10 species, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. One new species added to the data set, N. diatyches, did not form a clade with the other species of section Setaceus, where it was classified previously, rendering that section paraphyletic. To resolve this, N. diatyches and the morphologically similar species N. latericius are included with N. theaquus, in the new section Theaquus within Nothocladus s. lat. A specimen from Australia unaligned to these clades was sister to the Australia-New Zealand genus Psilosiphon and the cosmopolitan B. cayennense, but lacked statistical support. This specimen has the gross morphology of Batrachospermum s. lat. and is here provisionally assigned to that genus, as B. serendipidum sp. nov.

Pre-regulation coal mining and subsequent acid mine drainage (AMD) have drastically altered stream quality in the Appalachian region of the USA. Streams impaired by AMD often times demonstrate lowered pH, increases in specific conductance, and increase in dissolved metal concentrations. These changes in the chemical environment are reflected in the biotic community with drastic reductions in diversity and biomass. Recently, there has been an increase in applying traditional measures of food quality to understand how the biofilm community is altered by environmental condition and use for stream quality monitoring. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to use fatty acid profiles to distinguish between biofilm communities in AMD impaired and unimpaired streams and (2) to determine the consistency of biofilm fatty acid profiles throughout the summer sampling period. Impaired streams showed significantly lower pH and increased specific conductance. Biofilm samples from the AMD impaired streams had lower fatty acid content with a decreased proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fatty acid profiles easily and rapidly separated biofilm communities into their respective categories, either as being impaired by AMD or unimpaired by AMD, using multivariate statistical approaches. Fatty acid profiles were similar within stream type throughout the summer sampling season, and the profiles were correlated to pH and specific conductance. The results of this study suggest that fatty acid profiles can rapidly and accurately categorize the biofilm community responses to environmental impairment.

The red algae (Rhodophyta) are a lineage of primary endosymbionts whose ancestors represent some of the first photosynthetic eukaryotes on the planet. They primarily inhabit marine ecosystems, with only ∼5% of species found in freshwater systems. The subclass Nemaliophycidae is very diverse in ecological and life history features and therefore a useful model to study these traits, but the phylogenetic relationships among the orders are, for the most part, poorly resolved. To elucidate the phylogeny of the Nemaliophycidae, we constructed a nine-gene dataset comprised of nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial markers for 67 red algal specimens. The resulting maximum likelihood (ML) phylogeny confirmed the monophyly of all orders. The sister relationship of the Acrochaetiales and Palmariales received high support and the relationship of the Balliales with Balbianiales and Entwisleiales with Colaconematales was moderately supported. The Nemaliales, Entwisleiales, Colaconematales, Palmariales and Acrochaetiales formed a highly supported clade. Unfortunately, all other relationships among the orders had low bootstrap support. Although the ML analysis did not resolve many of the relationships, further analyses suggested that a resolution is possible. A Phycas analysis supported a dichotomously branching tree and Bayesian analysis showed a similar topology with all relationships highly supported. Simulations extrapolating the number of nucleotide characters beyond the current size of the dataset suggested that most nodes in the phylogeny would be resolved if more data become available. Phylogenomic approaches will be necessary to provide a well-supported phylogeny of this subclass with all relationships resolved such that the evolution of freshwater species from marine ancestors as well as reproductive traits can be explored.

We measured photosynthetic–irradiance curves of freshwater red algae in the Batrachospermales and Acrochaetiales from five low-order streams with one to five taxa collected from each stream in the central portion of the Ohio River basin. Four populations of Batrachospermum helminthosum, two populations of B. gelatinosum and Audouinella hermannii and one population of Batrachospermum sp. and Tuomeya americana were sampled. All five species of freshwater red algae were found within a single stream. We observed two distinct groups of algae from this stream: a low photosynthetic efficiency/high initial saturation group and a high photosynthetic efficiency/low initial saturation group distinguished by morphology. Mucilaginous forms, such as B. helminthosum, had significantly greater maximum photosynthesis and efficiency compared to those of the more “tuftlike” or compact morphology, such as A. hermannii. Photosynthetic responses of B. helminthosum in four streams showed a positive relationship with m...

A new centric diatom, Aulacoseira kruegeriana sp. nov., collected from small streams in the Yungas (cloud forest) region of Bolivia, is described based on light and electron microscopy. The new species is morphologically similar to Aulacoseira principissa Van de Vijver, A. alpigena (Grunow) Krammer, A. ambigua (Grunow) Simonsen, A. gessneri (Hustedt) Simonsen, A. laevissima (Grunow in Van Heurck) Krammer, A. lirata (Ehrenberg) Ross, and A. nygaardii (Camburn) Camburn & D.F. Charles. However, it is distinguished by its finer frustule structure, presence and features of separation and linking spines, density of areolae, rotae as mostly three-point bars, a solid and thick ringleist and indistinctly sigmoid mantle striae. Aulacoseira kruegeriana is the first new species of Aulacoseira. Thwaites reported from Bolivia. However, the literature on centric diatoms in this country is currently scarce and, as more research is conducted on streams and lakes, it is likely that additional novel centric diatoms will be ...

The freshwater red alga Batrachospermum gelatinosum inhabits streams of Europe and North America and has been collected frequently on both continents. A study of this species in North America showed evidence of a glacial refugium in the southeastern United States with little genetic variation throughout its more northern range in eastern North America. The present study was initiated to investigate its phylogeography throughout Europe and to compare these results with those obtained for North America. Specimens were collected from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Spain. Both the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode region and the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1 and 2) regions were analysed. Of the 70 individuals analysed, 12 COI haplotypes were uncovered. In addition, ITS variation of 67 individuals was surveyed and showed 21 haplotypes. The haplotype network of COI data showed a large number of the individuals distributed among three common haplotypes. The other nine haplotypes differed from the common ones by only one to two base pairs and were represented by only one to six individuals. The ITS network had a star appearance with a common haplotype (17 individuals) and many closely related haplotypes with few individuals per haplotype. Compared to North America, there were more COI haplotypes present in Europe (12 vs 5), and the relationship among haplotypes was more complex. The geographic distribution of haplotypes did not appear to follow a glaciation pattern; rather, the common haplotypes were widespread, suggesting a recent expansion.

The freshwater red algal order Thoreales has triphasic life history composed of a diminutive diploid "Chantransia" stage, a distinctive macroscopic gametophyte with multi-axial growth and carposporophytes that develop on the gametophyte thallus. This order is comprised of two genera, Thorea and Nemalionopsis. Thorea has been widely reported with numerous species, whereas Nemalionopsis has been more rarely observed with only a few species described. DNA sequences from three loci (rbcL, cox1, and LSU) were used to examine the phylogenetic affinity of specimens collected from geographically distant locations including North America, South America, Europe, Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, China, and India. Sixteen species of Thorea and two species of Nemalionopsis were recognized. Morphological observations confirmed the distinctness of the two genera and also provided some characters to distinguish species. However, many of the collections were in "Chantransia" stage rather than gametophyte stage, meaning that key diagnostic morphological characters were unavailable. Three new species are proposed primarily based on the DNA sequence data generated in this study, Thorea kokosinga-pueschelii, T. mauitukitukii, and T. quisqueyana. In addition to these newly described species, one DNA sequence from GenBank was not closely associated with other Thorea clades and may represent further diversity in the genus. Two species in Nemalionopsis are recognized, N. shawii and N. parkeri nom. et stat. nov. Thorea harbors more diversity than had been recognized by morphological data alone. Distribution data indicated that Nemalionopsis is common in the Pacific region, whereas Thorea is more globally distributed. Most species of Thorea have a regional distribution, but Thorea hispida appears to be cosmopolitan.

A new genus, Ottia, and family, Ottiaceae, are proposed within the Acrochaetiales to accommodate the uniseriate red algal endophyte of batrachspermalean taxa previously named Balbiania meiospora. Prior to this study, Balbiania investiens was transferred to its own family and order (Balbianiales) based on comparative DNA sequence data and a distinctive reproductive morphology. However, the second species described in this genus, B. meiospora, continued to be treated as a species of Audouinella (A. meiospora) pending further investigation. Phylogenetic analyses of sequence data confirmed only a distant relationship between the two endophytes, and a closer alliance of B. meiospora to Acrochaetiales. The data also showed that Ottia meiospora was the deepest diverging lineage in the Acrochaetiales, sister to all of the currently recognized genera and families. In this study, we review the classification of what we now call O. meiospora - reported from Australia, New Zealand and Brazil - based on sequence and morphological data. Morphological observations provided little clarity around the reproductive morphology or the life cycle of this endophyte of Nothocladus s. lat. found commonly in mainland Australia but, to date, less so in New Zealand.

The freshwater red algal species, Batrachospermum gelatinosum, is common in temperate/borea regions North America and Europe. In southeast Ohio, gametophytes of this taxon were observed to have two different phenologies; in one stream the gametophytes were present only during the spring months and in another stream they were present year-round. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine environmental parameters associated with occurrence, peak vegetative growth and reproduction for B. gelatinosum gametophytes in these two streams. Field sampling was conducted for 18 months with both streams being sampled every three to four weeks, when possible. Physical and chemical parameters of stream depth, current velocity, pH, conductivity and nutrients were measured each sampling date. Algal thalli were measured for changes in both vegetative and reproductive characters. In both streams, algal reproductive structures were positively correlated with stream depth (7-52 cm), but there was no correlation of vegetative characteristics with environmental variables measured. Algal cover (0-50 %) in each stream was positively correlated with stream depth (7-52 cm), current velocity (BDL-1.08 m.s-1) and day length (10.3-15.1 hrs). The site with the least canopy cover and greatest water depth had the highest algal cover and gametophytes present year-round; whereas the site with lower water depth had lower algal cover and gametophyte present only during spring and early summer. This result suggests that stream size and amount of riparian vegetation may play a role in determining phenologies observed. Contrasting phenologies have been reported for B. gelatinosum from sites that are geographically distant, but this study has found that local physical factors may produce differing phenologies in streams only a few kilometers apart.

An interest in freshwater red algae began in France over 200 years ago with naturalists, such as Bory de St. Vincent and Sirodot, who described numerous new taxa primarily within the Batrachospermales. Since the late 1800s, there has been limited research on these organisms in France. The present work was undertaken to revisit regions historically known to have a diversity of Batrachospermales. Overall, nine taxa were identified from 22 streams. Nine specimens representing six species were collected from eight streams near Rennes. From the Dax region, 16 specimens of six species were collected from 12 streams. Two streams were sampled near Vernon yielding two species. The rbcL gene was sequenced for all specimens and phylogenetically analyzed. Sequence data revealed that the Batrachospermales were broadly represented by the nine taxa collected. For most taxa, sequence data are available from other parts of the world, but these are the first for Batrachospermum vogesiacum. Although there have been...

Both Malaysia and Indonesia have high biodiversity for a variety of organisms, including freshwater red algae. The type localities of over a dozen freshwater red algal taxa are located in Malaysia and Indonesia. These species were described prior to the advent of molecular systematics, and no molecular data were available for specimens from these two countries. Therefore, the goal of this study was to visit type and other locales in Malaysia and Indonesia to recollect freshwater red algal taxa for both morphological and molecular studies. A total of 11 previously published species were identified, with eight taxa belonging to the Batrachospermales, and one each in the Compsopogonales (Compsopogon caeruleus), Ceramiales (Caloglossa beccarii) and Thoreales (Nemalionopsis shawii). The rbcL gene provided numerous insights including two new species, Batrachospermum phangii sp. nov. from Malaysia and Kumanoa celebes sp. nov. from Indonesia. The placement of Batrachospermum cylindrocellulare in section Aristata rather than section Batrachospermum was clarified. Specimens from Malaysia identified as Sirodotia delicatula were distantly related to specimens from South America, suggesting a cryptic species in South America. Likewise, Balliopsis prieurii from Malaysia was distantly related to Balliopsis prieurii from South America. A gametophyte specimen and numerous chantransia stage specimens were conspecific with Batrachospermum macrosporum from South America, and this is a new record of this taxon in Malaysia. Chantransia stage sporophyte specimens from Indonesia had a similar sequence to Sheathia arcuata from Hawaii. The sequence placement of N. shawii from Indonesia points to the need for further systematic research on this genus. Although Kumanoa gibberosa was not recollected at the type location in Malaysia, it was found in Indonesia; likewise, the type locality in Indonesia did not yield S. delicatula but this species was present in Malaysia. Given the previously described diversity, the two new taxa proposed in this study and the insights gained from the present molecular data, we suggest that future focus on freshwater red algae from Southeast Asia will yield considerable knowledge of the flora of the region and freshwater red algal diversity in general.

Bangia atropurpurea was first observed in Lake Erie in 1964 and subsequently spread to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes by the mid to late 1970s. The present study was initiated to examine the recent distribution of B. atropurpurea in the Great Lakes, the seasonal variation of the alga and the putative origin of this species based on DNA sequence analysis. From surveys in 1995 and 2002, this species has clearly spread, with newly identified populations observed in Lakes Huron, Michigan, Georgian Bay and the St. Lawrence River. Morphological analyses showed that Great Lakes populations from individual lakes or neighboring populations did not group together in cluster analyses. Correlation analysis, however, revealed significant relationships between the presence or absence of Bangia among the studied sites with pH and specific conductance as those locations that had stable populations had a mean pH and conductance of 8.2 and 353 μS·cm − 1 respectively. Seasonal variation in morphology of a population from Burlington, Ontario (Lake Ontario, Canada) was examined monthly for one year. Maximum filament length occurred in April, with the greatest diameter and archaeospore production observed in May. Significant correlations were also noted for many morphological characteristics with water temperature, population height on the shoreline relative to the waterline and total phosphorus. Collections of B. atropurpurea analyzed from the Great Lakes were observed to be identical in sequence to collections of European freshwater Bangia in the cox2–3 gene spacer, the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS 1 and 2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene (between the small and large subunits of the rRNA gene). These results suggest a recent European origin; however, further global collections of B. atropurpurea and microsatellite analyses are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

Freshwater red algae are important components of the algal flora in streams and rivers with high water quality. The order Batrachospermales is the most species-rich portion of the red algal taxa reported throughout North America. We investigated 30 stream segments in South Carolina for the presence of freshwater red algae classified within the Batrachospermales. We collected a total of 50 specimens representing 7 genera and 9 species. We documented Batrachospermum gelatinosum, B. turfosum, Kumanoa skujana, Montagnia australis, Sheathia americana, S. heterocortica, Sirodotia suecica, Tuomeya americana, and Virescentia viride-americana. We observed M. australis and T. americana from the greatest number of streams and in multiple years from the same site. We observed V. viride-americana in 3 streams; our specimens represent the only new record for the state. We generated DNA sequence data of the rbcL gene or gleaned it from the literature for 8 of the 9 taxa identified in the study and confirmed their morphological identification. We collected stream temperature, pH, and conductivity data from sites where we collected 6 of the taxa (Batrachospermum gelatinosum, B. turfosum, M. australis, Sheathia americana, T. americana, and V. viride-americana). Our records were within previously reported ranges for these taxa, although water temperatures tended to be higher than those in previous reports. Present data for the diversity of Batrachospermales in South Carolina represent 64% of the generic/infrageneric and 20% of the species diversity known for North America. This diversity may still be an underestimation of what might be detected by future studies that target more specialized habitats; taxa that are known from neighboring states but not yet reported from South Carolina might be discovered.

While the succession of benthic diatoms on scoured substrata has been widely studied to better understand community recovery from high flow disturbances, how anthropogenic stressors affect this common and dynamic process has received little attention; yet, it could have consequences for bioassessment and subsequent management decisions. Our objectives were to examine if the severity of acid mine drainage (AMD), a stressor of common concern in several countries, affected patterns of community development, diversity, and stream assessment outcomes (based on diatom metrics and indices) when diatoms are sampled during succession. In southeastern Ohio (USA), we deployed unglazed ceramic tiles in three streams along an AMD-impact gradient and in a control stream with no upstream AMD sources, and we sampled diatoms on days 5, 12, 19, 26, and 33. Diatom diversity decreased as AMD severity increased. In more severely AMD-impacted streams, diatom succession was simplified with less community turnover during the 33-...

Twenty-five specimens of the freshwater red alga Compsopogon were collected from locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Oceania, and from an aquarium, with the goal of determining genetic diversity among specimens and ascertaining the number of phylogenetic species. Specimens were morphologically identified as having either the ‘caeruleus’ morphology, with regular polyhedral cortical cells, or the ‘leptoclados’ morphology, with irregular cortical cells with rhizoidal outgrowths. The ‘leptoclados’ morphology has been used by some researchers to distinguish the genus Compsopogonopsis from Compsopogon, or at least to distinguish C. leptoclados from other Compsopogon species. Sequence data for the rbcL gene and cox1 barcoding region were obtained for most specimens. In addition, SSU and partial LSU (barcode) rDNA were explored for a few specimens, but all sequences were identical. For the 25 newly generated and eight previously published rbcL gene data, there were seven uniqu...

Polysiphonia subtilissima has a global marine distribution and has been reported from coastlines of every continent except Antarctica. Here, we report P. subtilissima from a freshwater habitat in Pego-Oliva Natural Park, Spain, which is only the third freshwater record for the genus and the first from Europe. This species was previously identified based on morphology from Juniper Creek (Florida, USA), 140 km from marine tidal influence, as well as from a stream on the island of Jamaica. Two molecular markers (5′ cytochrome c oxidase subunit I barcode and rbcL) were sequenced for the freshwater collections from Spain and Florida. DNA sequences from the freshwater specimens were identical for each marker and were identical or highly similar to previously published P. subtilissima sequences. Both the freshwater samples were collected from alkaline waters (pH 7.6–8.8 and 7.7, respectively) with high conductivity (1900–2700 and 1840 μS cm−1, respectively) for a freshwater ecosystem, suggesting a high concentra...

A legacy of pre-regulation coal mining in many areas has been acid mine drainage (metal-rich, low pH water). Today, numerous remediation strategies may be implemented, but there is little data on efficacy in restoring biological condition. Two alkaline doser projects in Ohio were assessed using diatom assemblages, and biofilm extracellular enzyme activities (EEA). In one stream, water quality steadily increased downstream of the doser; pH increased from 3.8 to 7.2 and Fe decreased from 107 to 0.42 mg l−1. Likewise, the periphyton biomass (chl a 7.15–12.77 mg m−2) increased and periphyton index scores (4–27) improved. As well, EEA data showed greater activity for phosphorus, nitrogen, and one carbon acquisition enzyme. For the other stream, the conductivity remained high (>720 μS cm−1) and pH and alkalinity decreased downstream. Biological data, including EEA, varied along the stream length with higher numbers in the middle reach, such as chlorophyll a (0.56 to 87.75 to 2.77 mg m−2), and index scores (7 to 29 to 11). The first remediation site showed positive results in chemistry, biological community and measures of ecosystem function. The second stream was highly variable in these parameters suggesting further AMD inputs are hampering recovery.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) impairs many streams throughout the historical and current coal mining regions. Abandoned mines often have sulfur-rich coal that produces sulfuric acid after exposure to water and oxygen. These streams are characterized by lowered pH, increased metal load, and decreased biotic assemblage complexity in comparison to unimpaired streams. Remediation efforts using alkaline addition have been successful in reducing the impacts of AMD by improving the chemical environment and reestablishing biotic assemblages that more closely resemble unimpacted streams. We used phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) to detect changes in biofilm fatty acid profiles, differences in specific fatty acid biomarkers, and nutritional quality among AMD-unimpaired, AMD-impaired, and AMD-remediated stream sites in southeastern Ohio (USA). In general, the physical, chemical, and biological measurements of the remediated sites were intermediate between the unimpaired and impaired streams. PLFA content was five times greater in AMD-unimpaired sites when compared to AMD-impaired and double that of AMD-remediated sites. PLFA profiles separated sites of the three categories into two statistically distinct groups: AMD-unimpaired/AMD-remediated and AMD-impaired. The results of this study showed that PLFA profiles have great promise as an additional metric to evaluate AMD impact for stream biomonitoring programs.

Recent molecular and morphological data necessitate a major taxonomic revision of the Batrachospermales, an order of red algae, distributed in freshwater habitats throughout the world. This article is a synthesis of available information with some targeted additional sequence data, resulting in a few relatively conservative taxonomic changes to begin the process of creating a natural taxonomy for the Batrachospermales. To increase the information content of our taxonomic categories, and in particular to reduce paraphyly, we describe one new genus (Kumanoa) and a new section in Batrachospermum (section Macrospora), and we amend the circumscriptions of the family Batrachospermaceae (to include Lemaneaceae and Psilosiphonaceae), the genus Batrachospermum (to exclude the sections Contorta and Hybrida, raised to genus level as Kumanoa), and the sections Aristata, Helminthoidea, and Batrachospermum of Batrachospermum. We also provide a new name, B. montagnei, for the illegitimate B. guyanense, and recognize an informal paraphyletic grouping of taxa within Batrachospermum, the "Australasica Group." This taxonomic synthesis increases the level of monophyly within the Batrachospermales but minimizes taxonomic change where data are still inadequate.

Species belonging to the newly established genus Kumanoa were sampled from locations worldwide. DNA sequence data from the rbcL gene, cox1 barcode region, and universal plastid amplicon (UPA) were collected. The new sequence data for the rbcL were combined with the extensive batrachospermalean rbcL data available in GenBank. Single gene rbcL results showed the genus Kumanoa to be a well-supported clade, and there was high statistical support for many of the terminal nodes. However, with this gene alone, there was very little support for any of the internal nodes. Analysis of the concatenated data set (rbcL, cox1, and UPA) provided higher statistical support across the tree. The taxa K. vittata and K. amazonensis formed a basal grade, and both were on relatively long branches. Three new species are proposed, K. holtonii, K. gudjewga, and K. novaecaledonensis; K. procarpa var. americana is raised to species level. In addition, the synonymy of K. capensis and K. breviarticulata is proposed, with K. capensis having precedence. Five new combinations are made, bringing the total number of accepted species in Kumanoa to 31. The phylogenetic analyses did not reveal any interpretable biogeographic patterns within the genus (e.g., K. spermatiophora from the tropical oceanic island Maui, Hawaii, was sister to K. faroensis from temperate midcontinental Ohio in North America). Previously hypothesized relationships among groups of species were not substantiated in the phylogenetic analyses, and no intrageneric classification is recommended based on current knowledge.

Species belonging to the newly established genus Kumanoa were sampled from locations worldwide. DNA sequence data from the rbcL gene, cox1 barcode region, and universal plastid amplicon (UPA) were collected. The new sequence data for the rbcL were combined with the extensive batrachospermalean rbcL data available in GenBank. Single gene rbcL results showed the genus Kumanoa to be a well-supported clade, and there was high statistical support for many of the terminal nodes. However, with this gene alone, there was very little support for any of the internal nodes. Analysis of the concatenated data set (rbcL, cox1, and UPA) provided higher statistical support across the tree. The taxa K. vittata and K. amazonensis formed a basal grade, and both were on relatively long branches. Three new species are proposed, K. holtonii, K. gudjewga, and K. novaecaledonensis; K. procarpa var. americana is raised to species level. In addition, the synonymy of K. capensis and K. breviarticulata is proposed, with K. capensis having precedence. Five new combinations are made, bringing the total number of accepted species in Kumanoa to 31. The phylogenetic analyses did not reveal any interpretable biogeographic patterns within the genus (e.g., K. spermatiophora from the tropical oceanic island Maui, Hawaii, was sister to K. faroensis from temperate midcontinental Ohio in North America). Previously hypothesized relationships among groups of species were not substantiated in the phylogenetic analyses, and no intrageneric classification is recommended based on current knowledge.

Species level taxonomy and phylogeographical distribution patterns in the freshwater rhodophyte Sirodotia are resolved through phylogenetic inferences based on rbcL and cox2–3 sequence data. Previous studies focused on the taxonomy of specific Sirodotia species or the distributions across a limited geographical region. Our molecular phylogenies included samples attributable to five recognized Sirodotia species and include collections from Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada, Finland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Both rbcL and cox2–3 phylogenies inferred S. suecica, S. tenuissima and S. goebelii as a monophyletic group with little sequence divergence. This result supports the synonymy of S. tenuissima and S. goebelii with S. suecica (the species name with priority). Within this clade, samples collected from Australia and New Zealand formed a monophyletic group with no other discernible phylogeographical patterns within S. suecica. This result seems to be somewhat unusual in th...

We present the complete mitochondrial genome of a newly described freshwater red alga Lympha mucosa. The genome was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The circular mitochondrial genome is 25,191 bp, contains 46 genes (24 CDS, 20 tRNA, and 2 rRNA), and has an overall GC content of 27.5%. Phylogenetic analyses of the cox1 gene show the placement of Lympha mucosa within the strictly freshwater order Batrachospermales. The four mitochondrial genomes within the subclass Nemaliophycidae sequenced to date are highly conserved in terms of genome size, gene content, and gene synteny.

Benthic diatoms are widely used indicators of human impacts on stream ecosystems because they are very responsive to changing environmental conditions. However, little research has explicitly focused on their reliability with regards to temporal variation in assemblage structure and environmental conditions. We examined variability in diatom-environment relationships at bi-weekly, monthly, and yearly time scales from 7 reference, 7 agricultural, and 2 acid mine drainage (AMD)-impacted streams, and how nutrient and pH fluctuations may affect the interpretation of diatom metrics and the Diatom Model Affinity (DMA) index. Reference streams had less bi-weekly variability in NO3-N concentrations than non-reference streams. The % eutraphentic diatoms and DMA scores were more strongly correlated with seasonal means of NO3-N and PO4-P concentrations than with same day concentrations. Most nutrient indicator metrics had strong correlations with watershed land use. All 14 non-AMD streams experienced substantial increases in NO3-N and decreases in temperature from November to May, which were associated with high species turnover, substantial changes in community structure, reduced diversity and richness, increased relative abundances of high nutrient diatoms, and decreases in low nutrient diatoms and DMA scores. The % acidophilic diatoms and DMA scores were significantly correlated with increased pH associated with greater precipitation at AMD sites from December to April (r = −0.77, r = 0.62, respectively; P

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a legacy of historical coal mining that affects several thousand stream kilometers around the world by contributing high loads of acidity, SO42−, metals, and other cations. Most research has focused on how AMD affects diversity and structure of various biological assemblages, whereas considerably less has focused on functional processes in streams. We investigated how AMD from abandoned coal mines affects epilithic biofilm development and function. Algal biomass and accrual rates were significantly lower in AMD-affected stream reaches than in control streams. Biomass and accrual rates were lowest at intermediate AMD-affected sites (pH = 5.1–5.9), probably because copious amounts of AlOH3 precipitates smothered the benthic habitat. Ratios of β-glucosidase (GLU):β-xylosidase (XYLO) were significantly correlated with algal biomass (r = 0.60, p < 0.01), probably because algae are important sources of C that is readily broken down by bacterial GLU activity, whereas XYLO ...

Diatoms are widely used in the biological monitoring of streams because they are strong responders to environmental change, but dispersal and spatial factors can play important and potentially confounding roles in the presence, absence, and abundance of species along with characterizing species–environment relationships. To examine how spatial factors affect diatom community structure and biomonitoring, multiple scales were sampled including the Western Allegheny Plateau ( n = 58), Leading Creek watershed ( n = 18), and the adjacent Shade River watershed ( n = 21) in southeast Ohio. Partitioning of spatial, environmental, and spatially-structured environmental variation was conducted on diatom assemblages and on diatom metrics used in biomonitoring. At the regional scale, diatom assemblages and metrics had strong relationships with agricultural ( e . g ., significant correlations with nutrients, conductivity, and pasture/row crops in the watershed) and alkalinity gradients. Diatom assemblages and metrics in both watersheds were strongly associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) impacts, and when spatial factors were set as covariables in CCAs, relationships with AMD gradients became even stronger, indicating the need to consider how spatial factors could reduce the strength of diatom-environment relationships. Metrics calculated at all scales had very little variation explained exclusively by spatial factors, likely because multiple species are combined into a simplified metric that reduces the effects of species dispersal. Local environmental variables accounted for 57, 42, and 42% of the total variation explained (TVE), and spatial variables accounted for 28, 31, and 37% of the TVE in the regional, Leading Creek, and Shade River datasets, respectively. The amounts of variation in diatom assemblages explained solely by spatial factors at these scales were substantial and similar to what has been reported at continental, national, and large regional (Level I Omernik ecoregions) scales (approximately 1/3 of TVE). Although amounts of variation explained are similar across scales, processes underlying the spatial structure likely differ. In addition to describing ecological patterns, recognizing the potential influence of spatial factors could improve the identification and management of environmental problems at a range of scales, as well as aid in the development of new research questions and hypotheses aimed at exploring factors that could explain portions of the spatially explicit variation.

Stimulated in large part by the advent of the Internet, research productivity in many academic disciplines has changed dramatically over the last two decades. However, the assessment system that governs professional success has not kept pace, creating a mismatch between modes of scholarly productivity and academic assessment criteria. In this article, we describe the problem and present ideas for solutions. We argue that adjusting assessment criteria to correspond to modern scholarly productivity is essential for the success of individual scientists and of our discipline as a whole. The authors and endorsers of this article commit to a number of actions that constitute steps toward ensuring that all forms of scholarly productivity are credited. The emphasis here is on systematic biology, but we are not alone in experiencing this mismatch between productivity and assessment. An additional goal in this article is to begin a conversation about the problem with colleagues in other subdisciplines of biology.

Aims: Algae are favourable as a biofuel source because of the potential high oil content and fast generation of biomass. However, one of the challenges for this technology is achieving high oil content while maintaining exponential or high growth of the organism. Introducing a two-stage reactor to optimize both growth and oil content of the algae could be a solution to this hurdle. The aim of this study was to determine the reactor design parameters of the first-stage reactor, which would optimize growth of two algal strains, Oocystis sp. and Amphora sp. Methods and Results: Growth kinetics were monitored by in vivo fluorescence and correlated to dry mass for both cultures under several environmental conditions during exponential growth. Temperatures of 25 and 30°C and light intensities of 150 and 80 μmol m−2 s−1 provided the most robust growth for Oocystis sp. and Amphora sp., respectively. Both strains showed optimized growth at a light : dark cycle of 16 : 08. At these conditions, the doubling rate for Oocystis sp. was 0·333 d−1 and for Amphora sp. was 0·179 d−1. Conclusions: For both cultures, growth rate was more dependent on light : dark cycle and temperature than light intensity. Both strains grew slower in this work than data reported in the literature, however agitation and air/CO2 sparging were not incorporated in the system under study. The highest doubling rate for Amphora sp. was observed near the maximum tolerable temperature, and it is suggested to grow this strain at 30°C for a consistent high growth rate. Significance and Impact of Study: Optimized growth conditions were determined for two lipid producing strains identified in the Aquatic Species Program summary report. An optimized, first-stage growth reactor operating at these conditions would thus offer the maximum productivity for an algal biomass feed stream into a lipid-optimized second-stage reactor.