NEW ALASKA SEAWEEDS

When I first began studying Alaskan seaweeds, I expected the flora to represent a depauperate extension of the species found along the coast from California to British Columbia. Early on, I was surprised to discover not just newly recognized species like Neodilsea natashae [1] (now Dilsea natashae [2]) but entirely previously undescribed genera (and species) like Hommersandia maximicarpa [3] and Orculifilum denticulatum [4]. We continue to find formerly unknown species from Alaskan waters. Aureophycus aleuticus represents not just a new genus and species of kelp [5], but also a new family [6]. Pyropia taeniata is now recognized as distinct from Pyropia pseudolinearis [7], the Japanese species with which it was formerly confused. Common species of Alaska seaweeds are highlighted in Field Guide to Seaweeds of Alaska [8]. Work continues elucidating this fascinating marine flora as other previously unknown species continue to be described.

References

[1] Lindstrom, S. C. 1984.

Neodilsea natashae sp. nov. (Dumontiaceae, Rhodophyta) with comments on the family. Phycologia 23: 29-37.

[2] Saunders, G. W., & Lindstrom, S. C. 2011.

A multigene phylogenetic assessment of the Dilsea/Neodilsea species complex (Dumontiaceae, Gigartinales) supports transfer of Neodilsea natashae to the genus Dilsea. Bot. Mar. 54: 481-486.

[3] Hansen, G. I., & Lindstrom, S. C. 1984.

A morphological study of Hommersandia maximicarpa gen. et sp. nov. (Kallymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) from the North Pacific. J. Phycol. 20: 476-488.

[4] Lindstrom, S. C. 1987.

Orculifilum denticulatum (Dumontiaceae, Rhodophyta), a new genus and species from the northeast Pacific. Phycologia 26: 129-137.

[5] Kawai, H., Hanyuda, T., Lindeberg, M., & Lindstrom, S. C. 2008.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Aureophycus aleuticus gen. et sp. nov. (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) from the Aleutian Islands. J. Phycol. 44: 1013-1021.

[6] Kawai, H., Hanyuda, T., Ridgway, M., & Holser, K. 2013.

Ancestral reproductive structure in basal kelp Aureophycus aleuticus. Scientific Reports 3, 2491; DOI: 10.1038/srep02491

[7] Lindstrom, S. C., Lindeberg, M. R., & Guthrie, D. A. 2015.

Marine macroalgae of the Aleutian Islands: I. Bangiales. Algae 30:247-263.

[8] Lindeberg, M. R., & Lindstrom, S. C. 2010.

Field Guide to Seaweeds of Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Fairbanks, iv + 188 p. [Reprinted with minor modification in 2016.]

BRYOLOGY COURSE OFFERED BY UNBC IN PORT EDWARD, BC, MAY 1-6, 2017

The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is offering an intensive field-based course in the biology of mosses and liverworts from May 1-6, 2017. From our home base of the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site situated at the mouth of the Skeena River in northwest BC, we will explore the morphology, diversity, and ecology of bryophytes through daily lectures, lab sessions, and fieldtrips to a range of spectacular habitats including coastal rainforests and peatlands.

This is a 3-credit course listed as BIOL 498 (Special Topics: Bryology) for undergraduates, or as NRES 698 for graduate students. Graduate students from other universities in western Canada (and possibly elsewhere) can apply for credit under the Western Deans' Agreement. A qualified individual can also register for the single course under "interest only" or "audit" categories, but must apply for admission to UNBC if not already a UNBC student.

Instructor: Dr. Karen Golinski
Prerequisites: A first-year course in university-level biology
Costs: Tuition and expenses (including student fees and field school fee) will total about CAD $900 for existing UNBC undergraduate students; cost is closer to $650 if just auditing the course. An application fee of $37.50 or $76.10 (depending on whether international transcripts need to be evaluated) will be required for individuals who are not current UNBC students. Accommodations and kitchen use are available on-site for $40 per night. For More Information about the course, please contact Karen Golinski at karen.golinski@unbc.ca For assistance with UNBC admission and registration, or to make accommodation arrangements, please e-mail nw-info@unbc.ca or phone 250.615.5578

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