MNPS Program (Tuesday): The Algae of Maryland: Diversity, Distribution and Environmental Importance

Speaker: John D. Hall, PhD. Research Associate, University of Maryland and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Description: Algae are a heterogeneous assemblage of photosynthetic eukaryotes that includes those organisms we commonly call phytoplankton, seaweeds and plants (in the broad sense). There are approximately 1,200 species of algae known from Maryland and they can be found in almost every aquatic and damp terrestrial habitat. Maryland has many hundreds of miles of coastline along coastal bays and extending into the Chesapeake Bay. Salinity in the bay ranges from seawater in the south to freshwater in the north with brackish influences extending as far north as Aberdeen in the autumn. Although Maryland has no natural lakes, it contains a wealth of freshwater rivers, wetlands and ponds, as well as many artificial lakes and reservoirs. Each habitat contains a characteristic community of algal species.

John will provide a brief introduction to the diversity of algae and algal communities in Maryland. He will also give a summary of efforts to document their distribution. Finally, he will present some data on the value of taxonomic research for conservation using examples from other parts of North America.

Location: Kensington Library, 4201 Knowles Ave, Kensington, MD

The program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.