Desmid Algae: Jewels in the Bog | Jo Wilbraham
Our speaker for this Lunchtime Lecture was Jo Wilbraham, senior curator (algae) at the Natural History Museum, London.
She spoke on desmids, a distinctive group of unicellular green algae which can often be found abundantly in bogs and peatlands if one takes the time to peer into these habitats at a microscopic level. Desmids exhibit a great range of morphology, typically with a striking symmetrical appearance. During this presentation we will explore some of the remarkable diversity found within this group of algae.
Desmids are highly sensitive to water quality and can be as threatened as their multicellular relatives. Conservation of microscopic organisms poses many challenges yet there are also opportunities to more fully understand the functioning of ecosystems in which desmids play a fundamental role.
The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active biological society. Founded in 1788, the Society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778).
https://www.linnean.org/
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