Algae around UConn

Biodiversity hidden to the naked eye

Microorganisms are incredibly diverse. A small sample of water from a local pond can contain dozens of species - some related to plants, some related to fungi, and some belonging to completely different, ancient lineages of eukaryotes. Algae are a subset of this diversity: they are organisms that contain a photosynthetic organelle (plastid). Here are a few examples of the charismatic algae found in the vicinity of the University of Connecticut

• Dinobryon is a colonial flagellated alga from the class Chrysophyceae, a member of the Stramenopiles.

Dinobryon cf. cylindricum from Walker Reservoir, Vernon, CT