Connected

I'm now connected to the EnvPhyto phytoplankton counting program that runs at the Finnish Environment Institute in Helsinki. :) EnvPhyto is again connected with the national environmental database, Hertta. This together makes it possible to combine the algae count results with the known environmental parameters of the lake, like depth, catchment area, pH, P, N etc etc. At once.

Navicula reinhardtii

While visiting my colleagues in the Netherlands we discussed this peculiar Navicula from the Dutch waters, that I was not able to give a name to. Geurt Verweij - a far more competent diatomist than I ever will be - gave his opinion on the subject: Navicula reinhardtii.



Size= 15 x 34 µm

I had seen this little fellow many times. The structure in the middle of the scale is quite special, with long an short striae. Geurt pointed out, that the end of the raphe is curved. Yes, I could see that. And, what's even more specific is that the other end is curved to the opposite direction. Seems to be exceptional for Navicula s. str., according to Lange-Bertalot (2001). With some difficulty I could see even this. I mean the raphe curving the other way, not the exceptionality in it.

So, there is a new diatom-buddy for me. Navicula reinhardtii (A. Grunow) A. Grunow in P.T. Cleve et J.D. Möller 1877. According to the Dutch TWN-list there are no synonyms, but in both the books, Süsswasserflora 2/1 (1997) and Diatoms of Europe (2001) Stauroneis reinhardtii is mentioned as a synonym. Hmm...
Here is some more information about this species: Common Freshwater Diatoms of Britain and Ireland A multiaccess key. Seems to be very sensitive to pollution, according to the France IPS, and alkalibiontic. No wonder I've not seen it in Finland. ;)

Literature:
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1997. Bacillariophyceae. 1.Teil: Naviculaceae. Julk.: Ettl, H.,
Gerloff, J., Heynig, H. & Mollenhauer D. (toim.). Süsswasserflora von Mitteleuropa,
Band 2. Stuttgart, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena. 876 s.

Lange-Bertalot, H. 2001. Diatoms of Europe, Volume 2: Navicula Sensu Stricto, 10 Genera Separated from Navicula Sensu Lato, Frustulia. A.R.G Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggel. 526 s.

I love library

How fine is the possibility to borrow books from far away libraries!

Just got the Bibliography of Copepoda by W. Verwoort from the library of Helsinki university.


One can live and work on the countryside and still have access to fine literature.

Very, very interesting

Participated a course arranged by the Finnish Environment Institute on Thursday in Helsinki. Soon we will be able to send the results of our phytoplankton countings to the national database for phtyoplankton, which is again linked to the national database for all the information concerning the surface waters (place, physical and chemical information...). And be able to use this information. And combine the information. On line. Wow!

Inland Water Biology

Found this journal, Inland Water Biology. There are wonderfull photo's of diatoms by S.I. Genkal. And many articles about zooplankton too, this fascinating group that many times is forgotten. What makes it extra interesting on these lati- and longitudes is the fact that many articles deal with Karelian waters.



Take a look!

Speciesism

I often feel quite uncomfortable, when I see some strange green balls under the microscope. If these green algae are the kind that I don't know so well. And if I have difficulties identifying them. So that I don't know in which group they belong to. So that I don't now their background. So that I don't know how I should handle them. It does not feel good.

In these cases there is nothing else for me to do, than to leave them for what they are and call them with a group name, like Chlorophyceae, that covers all the possible green balls. And keep on hoping, that One Day I will find the information to be able to identify them as species and understand their taxonomically right place and their background. That would make me happy. But in the meanwhile I have to be able to stand out the stress of not knowing, not understanding.

In these times, that we are having elections here in Finland and even here the message of extreme right is more and more heard, the thought came into my mind, that people who suffer from a breeze of racism, probably go through same kind of feelings as I do with my little green balls. They must feel uncomfortable and unsecure. Not knowing or understanding.

I do hope that they will stand out the stress.

After all, we all belong to the same Family.

Smells like sh*t

Got this telephone call from a consulting company. There had been complaints that something smelled like cow dung at a lake, so they took a sample from the ice on this lake. The farmers are not yet busy... They could see something in the sample.

I had some difficulties trying to identify the species on the telephone... In the last sample of the year there had been a lot of the diatom Aulacoseira islandica. Perhaps it was that. I asked if they could send me a some of that sample. They could.

This is what I saw:
Aulacoseira indeed. And after a closer look I could be positive, that it is islandica.


Our beloved Astrid Cleve-Euler wrote in 1951 that this species is common and an important algae in the larger, meso- to eutrophic waters. And that it can form blooms in the winter!

Bijkerk et al 1996 write, that A. islandica has it's temperature optimum below 10 degrees and that it needs less light than it's sister A. granulata, for example. If the water is more eutroficated, then A. granulata will probably win.

The smell then. My nose did not detect any odour of dung. Some faint smell of... of... don't know.
Aulacoseira?

Literature:
Bijkerk, Ronald, Joosten, Ton & Koeman Reinoud 1996. Documentatie van centrale diatomeeën uit Nederlandse eutrofe binnenwateren. Koeman en Bijkerk bv, Haren. The Netherlands.
Cleve-Euler, Astrid 1951. Die Diatomeen von Schweden und Finnland. Kungl. Svenska vetenskapsakademiens handlingar. 4. ser. bd. 2, no. 1; 1-163.