The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre
About the project
Filamentous green algae are common in freshwater environments, providing food and habitat for diverse organisms, particularly in river ecosystems. Many species are bioindicators of ecological conditions, making them regular components of Norwegian environmental monitoring programs.
Despite their abundance and widespread distribution, we have limited knowledge about their diversity, ecology, and distribution in Norway. This knowledge gap exists because many filamentous green algae have simple morphology influenced by environmental factors and age. Different species frequently grow intertwined in dense green mats, complicating their study and differentiation. Moreover, key taxonomic features required for identification are difficult to observe in nature, necessitating cultivation and/or barcoding for reliable species identification. As a result, filamentous green algae rank among Norway’s least understood algal groups.
We will sample filamentous green algae across all major Norwegian river types, morphologically characterize field-collected samples prior to laboratory cultivation and comparison of in situ with in vitro morphology. Combined with molecular analysis and modeling, we will ensure accurate species identification. Collaboration with ongoing environmental monitoring programs ensures cost-effective sampling while benefitting from state-of-the-art environmental data collected within monitoring projects. This information will document ecological conditions supporting collected filamentous green algae species.
We expect to document substantial Norwegian species diversity and transfer this knowledge to students and early-career colleagues in algal taxonomy.
Objectives
Participants