Taxonomy of Eunotia (Bacillariophyceae): an enhancement of the taxonomic analysis

• Grant number: 14/25311-1
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal researcher: Denise de Campos Bicudo
• Grantee: Lívia Franco da Costa
• Supervisor abroad: Luc Ector
• Home Institution: Instituto de Botânica. Secretaria do Meio Ambiente (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann (CRP), Luxembourg
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/15109-0 - Taxonomy and ecology of Eunotia (Bacillariophyceae) in reservoirs of southern and southeastern regions of São Paulo State, BP.MS

Abstract

Eunotia is the most representative genus of family Eunotiaceae and is mainly characterized by its rudimentary raphe system restricted to the valve poles and the presence of rimoportulae. In the São Paulo State, 87 species/varieties of Eunotia are presently known. However, most of the information regarding them was not yet published, and many species presently require taxonomic revision. This study aims at solving taxonomic problems and at developing the taxonomic knowledge about Eunotia species and varieties related to the project "Taxonomy and Ecology of Eunotia (Bacillariophyceae) in Reservoirs of Southern and Southeastern Regions of São Paulo State" (FAPESP process 2014/15109-0). Total study material includes 220 periphytic, planktonic and benthic (surface sediments) samples collected from 31 reservoirs distributed in five drainage basins. Based on previous material analysis, some photographs obtained by optical microscopy, their respective measures and oxidized material will be taxonomically examined in more detail. Taxonomic analysis of some populations with uncertain identification will be conducted at the Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann - EVA (Luxembourg) during one month. Type material and taxonomic and nomenclatural classical literature of difficult access in Brazil will be examined searching for the solution of taxonomic problems and the best definition of populations surveyed. For the scanning electronic microscopy analysis, subsamples of oxidized material will be concentrated and mounted on aluminium stubs, metallized with palladium and studied under a Hitachi SU-70 scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, some species requiring a deeper understanding and the knowledge of a taxonomist expert will be discussed with Dr Luc Ector, senior researcher in taxonomy and ecology of freshwater diatoms, and Dr. Carlos Eduardo Wetzel, Eunotia expert and co-tutor of the present study. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

COSTA, LIVIA F.; WETZEL, CARLOS E.; ECTOR, LUC; WILLIAMS, DAVID M.; BICUDO, DENISE C.. Eunotia enigmatica sp nov., a new planktonic diatom from Brazil and the transfer of Fragilaria braunii HUSTEDT to the genus Peronia (Bacillariophyceae). Fottea, v. 17, n. 1, p. 103-113, 2017. (14/25311-1, 14/15109-0)