| ID | Algal_Group | Species | Image | Description | Region | IRL_Site | Suwannee_Site | occurence_SUW | occurence_IRL | Good_or_Bad | Good_Comment | Effects on Clams? | What Can a Clam Farmer Do? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Cryptophytes (Cryptophyta) | Cryptomonas spp. | Click to View | asymmetrical, oval-shaped cells; 15-40 µm; two flagella | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR;SR | 100 | 99 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | very common throughout Florida, but seldom found as major bloom-former | |
| 002 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | Lyngbya spp. | Click to View | cylindrical cells; can form filamentous colonies; filaments usually wider than 6 µm | Suwannee Sound | PI;SR | 1 | 0 | Good; Bad | acceptable food item for clams | Most planktonic forms are not harmful; however, some benthic forms, which have been found in the water column, have been associated with toxins (e.g., Lyngbya majuscula). | Normally found in freshwater, but appears in brackish/coastal waters after heavy rainfall and freshwater discharge. | |
| 003 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | Merismopedia spp. | Click to View | spherical cells; 1-7 µm in diameter; form flat rectangular colonies | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | SR | 0 | 3 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | Normally found in freshwater, but appears in brackish/coastal waters after heavy rainfall and freshwater discharge. | |
| 004 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | Microcystis spp. | Click to View | spherical cells; 1-6 µm in diameter; form irregularly shaped colonies | Suwannee Sound | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR;SR | 26 | 0 | Good; Bad | acceptable food item for clams | Some of these species have been associated with the production of hepatotoxin, which can negatively affect the digestive system of animals. Toxicity of local strains has not been confirmed. | Normally found in freshwater, but appears in brackish/coastal waters after heavy rainfall and freshwater discharge. Extreme bloom events can be associated with reduced oxygen levels in the water column. | |
| 005 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | Oscillatoria spp. | Click to View | cylindrical cells; 2-15 µm diameter; can form filamentous colonies | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | SR | 0 | 5 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | Normally found in freshwater, but appears in brackish/coastal waters after heavy rainfall and freshwater discharge. | |
| 006 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | spherical picoplankton | Click to View | spherical cells; < 3 µm in diameter | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR;SR | 100 | 97 | Good; Bad | acceptable food item for clams | Can be too small to be captured by clam gills. | Very often numerically the most abundant algae. May not be as important in terms of biomass compared to diatoms or dinoflagellates, but can form major blooms. |
| 007 | Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green Algae (Cyanophyta) | Synechococcus spp. | Click to View | oval-shaped cells; 1-3 µm wide, 5-10 µm long | Indian River | Sebastian | 0 | 27 | Good; Bad | acceptable food item for clams | Some species in this genus have been shown to produce amphidiniols, compounds with hemolytic (lyse red blood cells) properties, but reports from the natural environment are rare. | Very often numerically the most abundant algae. May not be as important in terms of biomass compared to diatoms or dinoflagellates, but can form major blooms. | |
| 008 | Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) | Amphiprora cf. | Click to View | oblong shape with indent in central portion of cell, cells can appear twisted; 25-150 µm long | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR | 36 | 9 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | ||
| 009 | Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) | Bellerochea horologicalis | Click to View | cylindrical cells; 30-100 µm long, 22-35 µm wide; form ribbon-like chains | Suwannee Sound | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR | 23 | 0 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | |||
| 010 | Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) | Cerataulina pelagica | Click to View | cylindrical cells with short spines at terminal ends; 10-40 µm diameter; can form chains | Indian River and Suwannee Sound | Sebastian | DE;GJ;PI;HB;PR | 38 | 9 | Good | acceptable food item for clams | major bloom-former; blooms can occur any time of year, but most common in fall and spring |