Desmids as key indicators for environmental change (DESKEY)

Phytoplankton is well studied in Europe and established as a good bioindicator because of its high sensitivity to environmental conditions and due to its short life cycle, the fast prolongation and the great variety in species and shapes. Desmids are a special group of phytoplankton which has been actively studied for determining water quality. However, there is no research on desmids related to water chemistry on Svalbard at all. I propose to analyse the water chemistry and the desmid species in lakes around Ny-Ålesund and in the foreland of the glacier Midtre Lovénbreen. As well as do an experiment of the effects on desmids by increasing temperature and nutrients in aquarias in a controlled environment.