Specimen #17 Algae

Specimen 17: Algae

Figure 1: The specimen can be identified from its green color, hornlike projection, and disk-shape, as seen above.

Scientific Name: Pediastrium
Order: Chlorococcales
Family: Hydrodictyaceae
Collection Date: September 21, 2015
Habitat: Rare in deep water; found in ponds and lakes along shores
Location: Willa's Garden Pond - South Russell, OH
Description: Disk-shaped colonial green algae, characterized by peripheral hornlike projections; freshwater plankton; number of cells per colony varies
Collector: Willa Schrlau

Key Used: Rainis, K.G, Russell, B.J.1996. Guide to Microlife. A Division of Grolier Publishing. Danbury, CT.

Key Steps:

• Protist Key pp. 78
• Organism without stalk, free swimming, grouped together, floating, or as a filament --> 3
• Colored --> 4
• Cells are green; contain chloroplasts --> 5
• Cells not arranged in green filaments --> 6
• Green and yellow - Green protists --> pp. 150 --> pp. 152 Pediastrium

Ecology:
This specimen is predominantly found in freshwater, and plays a key role in oxygen production (Chantangsi).

Links:

http://www.britannica.com/science/Pediastrum
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep01/pediastrum.html
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=6032
http://www.cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Chlorophyceae/colonies/colonies_not_flagellated/PEDIASTRUM/Pediastrum_key.html

Algae Links:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/greenalgae/greenalgae.html
http://botany.si.edu/projects/algae/
http://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/algal-biofuels
http://tolweb.org/accessory/Algae:_Protists_with_Chloroplasts?acc_id=52