Kalina M. Manoylov

Development of diatom indicators of ecological conditions for streams of the western US

Abstract The species composition of benthic diatoms was related to environmental conditions in streams throughout the western US to develop diatom traits, indicators for assessment of biological condition and indicators for diagnosing stressors. We hypothesized that indicators based on species traits determined for subsets of streams with similar natural landscape features would be more precisely related to environmental conditions than would be indicators calculated based on species traits for all streams in the data set. The ranges of many environmental conditions were wide among western streams, and these conditions covaried greatly along a major environmental gradient characterized by positive correlations among % watershed disturbed by agricultural and urban land uses (% WD), conductivity, total N, total P, and % fine sediments. Species traits were calculated for 242 diatom taxa. Weighted average (WA) methods were used to define species environmental optima, and regression approaches were used to determine whether species were sensitive or tolerant to environmental conditions indicated by % WD, total P, total N, a nutrient multivariate index, pH, conductivity, % fine sediments, % embeddedness, and a watershed disturbance multivariate index. Indicators based on WA optima and sensitive/tolerant traits were highly correlated with these environmental conditions. Natural and anthropogenic conditions varied greatly among classes of streams grouped by climate regions, but indicators developed for the entire western US were consistently more accurate than were regional indicators. Indicators for individual stressors, such as total P, conductivity, and % embeddedness, were highly correlated with values of respective stressors, but covariation among all indicators and stressors indicated that only 1 environmental gradient was reliably reflected by the indicators. Thus, robust indicators of the biological condition of diatom assemblages were developed for streams of the western US, but development of stressor-specific indicators will require application of additional analytical approaches.

Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts, methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment

Algal taxonomy is a key discipline in phycology and is critical for algal genetics, physiology, ecology, applied phycology, and particularly bioassessment. Taxonomic identification is the most common analysis and hypothesis‐testing endeavor in science. Errors of identification are often related to the inherent problem of small organisms with morphologies that are difficult to distinguish without research‐grade microscopes and taxonomic expertise in phycology. Proposed molecular approaches for taxonomic identification from environmental samples promise rapid, potentially inexpensive, and more thorough culture‐independent identification of all algal species present in a sample of interest. Molecular identification has been used in biodiversity and conservation, but it also has great potential for applications in bioassessment. Comparisons of morphological and molecular identification of benthic algal communities are improved by the identification of more taxa; however, automated identification technology does not allow for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of samples. Currently, morphological identification is used to verify molecular taxonomic identities, but with the increased number of taxa verified in algal gene libraries, molecular identification will become a universal tool in biological studies. Thus, in this report, successful application of molecular techniques related to algal bioassessment is discussed.

Diatom Deformities from an Acid Mine Drainage Site at Friendship Hills National Historical Site, Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT Algae have been observed in many different extreme environments. We conducted a taxonomic diatom survey from Ice Pond Run stream, Friendship Hills National Historic Site, Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 2002. This stream is chronically impacted by acid mine drainage. The pH observed was low and ranged from 1.91 to 2.22. We identified three algal genera and six species. Two species counted as Eunotia geitlerii and E. exigua showed to have frustule incised ventral deformity and addition of extra striae, which represented 13% of the community relative percentage. Pinnularia subcapitata also showed highly silicified punctae with shallow pores.

Three New Araphid Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) from Rivers in North America

ABSTRACT. Three new diatoms from North American rivers are described: Staurosira reimeri, Staurosirella elegantula and Staurosirella magna. The features of these diatoms are distinctive, and although they are reported here for the first time, misidentifications and lumping with other taxa in the past are likely. The finding of these three new taxa has two main implications: 1) knowledge of the diversity of araphid diatoms in the Fragilariaceae in North America is still incomplete, and 2) the full set of characters for araphid genera such as Staurosira and Staurosirella is still unknown since the three species described here have novel characters that were unknown or uncommon until the present study. The morphology of the new taxa is shown using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared with the available literature on this group. S. reimeri is unique within Staurosira because it includes rhomboid, isopolar valves with a narrow linear axial area, rudimentary spines, and apical pore fields reduced to two slits located perpendicularly on the valve mantle edge at the valve apices. S. elegantula and S. magna are unique within Staurosirella due to their large and heavily silicified valves. Both taxa are also shown here to have thick spines with less densely silicified cores, a first report of this feature for Staurosirella. Additionally, S. magna has copulae possessing well developed ligulae that can be folded outwards, a feature that has not been seen in any other published taxa within Staurosirella. Finally, two varieties are transferred to the genus Staurosirella at the species level: S. dubia and S. rhomboides, based on a previous study of these diatoms in North American material done at the LM and SEM levels. New taxa: Staurosira reimeri Morales, Manoylov et Bahls, Staurosirella elegantula Morales et Manoylov, Staurosirella magna Morales et Manoylov. New combinations: Staurosirella dubia (A. Grunow) Morales et Manoylov, Staurosirella rhomboides (A. Grunow) Morales et Manoylov.

Mayamaea cahabaensis sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae), a New Freshwater Diatom from Streams in the Southern United States

ABSTRACT. A new diatom species, Mayamaea cahabaensis, was observed during analysis of algal samples collected from Alabama (USA) by the U.S. Geological Surveys National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). Subsequently, other populations of the same species were found in material collected for a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project also from Alabama streams. A review of NAWQA materials at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) revealed that the species was also found in Arkansas, Arizona and Texas. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) features reveal an affinity of the new taxon with Mayamaea Lange-Bertalot. Some of these features include elliptical valves with rounded ends and parallel to radiate striae composed of round areolae, which are occluded by a hymen positioned toward the external opening of each individual areola. The valves are slightly asymmetrical about the median transapical plane. The asymmetry of the valves and the clarity of the valve ornamentations under LM are features that are not seen in other members of the genus. The new species is eutraphentic and was found in warm waters with medium conductivity. So far, only freshwater stream populations have been found with no records from lakes. New taxa: Mayamaea cahabaensis Morales and Manoylov

Applying the process of backward design in revising an environmental science program

The purpose of this article is to share our model of a successful curriculum reform process and provide an overview so that it can be replicated by other programs. The process of backward design is commonly used for course design, and here we apply this framework to a program-level revision of student learning outcomes, curriculum, and assessment. Graduates from our Environmental Science program are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate academic content, to be able to conduct research and develop professional behaviors and dispositions. Our revised program now has clear, assessable student learning outcomes, a set of coursework that is well aligned with these outcomes, and planned assessment that will allow us to evaluate our students and our program. This program revision has been a long, time-consuming process that has been facilitated by the cooperative nature and dedication of the individuals on the Environmental Science committee and by support structures at our institution. We will discuss the methods used by our program to bring about these changes and also the challenges we faced.

Morphological variation of the Caloneis schumanniana species complex (Bacillariophyceae) from different environmental conditions in North American streams

Morphological variations of the Caloneis schumanniana (Grunow) Cleve species complex were studied using multivariate analysis. Populations of three species, synonymized in the literature, i.e., C. schumanniana, Caloneis limosa (Kützing) Patrick and Caloneis lewisii Patrick, were analyzed. Their morphological and ecological characteristics were evaluated and outlined for the sampled streams by US EPA’s Western Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Geographic separation among the three taxa was not resolved. This study showed that C. schumanniana has wider ecological tolerance than C. limosa and C. lewisii. Despite the ecological overlap, specific ecological preferences of C. limosa and C. lewisii were described.