Morphotaxonomy, distribution and abundance ofSpirogyra(Zygnematophyceae, Charophyta) in Lake Baikal, East Siberia

A recent study reveals that Spirogyra, typically absent from Lake Baikal's open nearshore waters, has undergone mass development in shallow zones, extending its vertical distribution to depths above 0.5 meters. This phenomenon was observed during 2012–2016, with the highest biomass recorded near human settlements and tourist sites, reaching up to 125 ± 59 g/m² in the southern basin and 70.5 ± 39 g/m² in the northern basin. The study identified 15 Spirogyra taxa from 37 lake sites and five streams, including eight species new to Lake Baikal and nine previously unknown in the region. Eight morphological species were reported for East Siberia for the first time. Species richness was notably higher in shallow bays with sandy bottoms, likely influenced by organic pollution. The most widespread species, S. cf. fluviatilis, thrived year-round across rocky littoral zones (0.5–17 m depth) and tributaries, including the Angara River. This research provides the first detailed account of Spirogyra's mass development in Lake Baikal amid ecological changes and offers baseline data on its species richness and distribution.

Volkova, E. A., Bondarenko, N. A., & Timoshkin, O. A. (2018). Morphotaxonomy, distribution and abundance ofSpirogyra(Zygnematophyceae, Charophyta) in Lake Baikal, East Siberia. Phycologia, 57(3), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.2216/17-69.1