Birth of a species level key to filamentous algae blooming in later summer in the Maple River.

Abstract

My project for the last few weeks of the summer session of UMBS has been the development of a species level key to filamentous algae, specifically species blooming in the west branch of the Maple River, in order to increase my own knowledge of filamentous algae. I originally anticipated finding approximately 12 species, although ultimately 17 were found, including Anabaena augstumalis, Anabaena oscillatorioides, Chaetophora pisiformis, Chara vulgaris, Cladophora glomerata, Fragilaria capucina, Melosira varians, Oscillatoria limnetica, Oscillatoria sancta, Oscillatoria tenuis, Spirogyra affinis, Spirogyra fluviatilis, Spirogyra nitida, Spirogyra pratensis, Tribonema bombycina, Ulothrix zonata, and Vaucheria pachyderma.