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Aquatic Microalgae Collection (Chemical Preservation)

Contact Information

Collection Manager: Laura Steger (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0878-4132)

About Collection

This collection contains subsamples of aquatic microalgae preserved in either glutaraldehyde or a high-iodine Lugol's solution (NEON sample class: ptx_taxonomy_in.preserved). Periphyton and phytoplankton samples are collected three times per year at wadeable stream, river, and lake sites during aquatic biology bout windows, roughly in spring, summer, and fall. Benthic samples are collected using the most appropriate sampler for the habitat and substratum type, including rock scrubs, grab samples, and epiphyton. In wadeable streams, periphyton samples are collected in the two most dominant benthic habitat types (e.g. riffles, runs, pools, step pools), and seston samples were collected from the water column near the S2 sensor (seston samples were discontinued in 2018). In lakes, water-column phytoplankton samples are collected near the buoy and littoral sensors using a Kemmerer sampler, and in littoral areas using the best benthic sampling method for the dominant substratum type. In rivers, phytoplankton samples are collected near the buoy and two other deep-water locations using a Kemmerer or Van Dorn sampler, and in littoral areas using the best benthic sampling method for the dominant substratum type. All field-collected samples are split into subsamples in the domain support facility, preserved, and shipped to a contracting taxonomy laboratory where samples are further subsampled for analysis and archiving. All samples are archived in 20 mL glass scintillation vials and stored in a temperature (17-18°C) and humidity controlled environment. Phytoplankton and seston samples are preserved in a 2% high-iodine Lugol's solution from 2014-2020 and 0.5% glutaraldehyde starting in 2021. Periphyton samples are preserved in 0.5% glutaraldehyde. See related links below for protocols and NEON related data products.

"Chemically-preserved

Collection Statistics

  • 3,900 specimen records
  • 3,900 (100%) georeferenced
  • 1 publication references
  • 1,371 (35%) identified to species
  • 89 families
  • 182 genera
  • 422 species
  • 454 total taxa (including subsp. and var.)

Citation

Please use the appropriate citation in your publications. See Acknowledging and Citing the Biorepository for more info.

NEON Biorepository Data Portal. 2025. Aquatic Microalgae Collection (Chemical Preservation) (repackaging of occurrences published by the NEON Biorepository Data Portal) Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/2a234e01b6e9ab8bdce9c466ba86a276 (Accessed via the NEON Biorepository Data Portal, https://biorepo.neonscience.org/, 2025-04-16).

External Links

Periphyton, Seston, And Phytoplankton Collection Data Product

DP1.20166.001

Periphyton, Seston, And Phytoplankton Chemical Properties Data Product

DP1.20163.001

AOS Protocol and Procedure: ALG – Periphyton and Phytoplankton Sampling

PDF|3.24 MB|NEON.DOC.003045vJ

Collection Data

DwC-Archive Access Point

Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) | NEON-AMIC-CP_DwC-A.zip

Digital Metadata

Ecological Metadata Language (EML) File

EDI Dataset Page

DOI: 10.6073/pasta/2a234e01b6e9ab8bdce9c466ba86a276

Extra Statistics