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Characterization of H awaiian freshwater and terrestrial cyanobacteria reveals high diversity and numerous putative endemics
Author(s) -
Sherwood Alison R.,
Carlile Amy L.,
Vaccarino Melissa A.,
Johansen Jeffrey R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
phycological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.438
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1835
pISSN - 1322-0829
DOI - 10.1111/pre.12080
Subject(s) - biology , endemism , monophyly , taxon , phylogenetic tree , 16s ribosomal rna , phylogenetic diversity , biodiversity , botany , ecology , zoology , clade , gene , genetics
Summary Fifty samples of cyanobacteria were collected and characterized as part of the H awaiian F reshwater A lgal B iodiversity S urvey. Fifty‐two percent of the samples originated from O ahu, while the remainder were collected from K auai (14%), M aui (20%) and H awaii (14%). A diversity of habitats (e.g. streams, wet walls, taro fields, terrestrial areas and ditches) was represented by the collection sites, which is reflective of the abundance of suitable non‐marine algal substrata in these isolated, humid, subtropical islands. Most samples were isolated and cultured for observation of morphological features, and all were sequenced for both the U niversal P lastid A mplicon ( UPA ) marker (partial 23 S rRNA ) and 16 S rRNA gene. Alignments of both markers (separately and concatenated) with additional GenBank sequences for phylogenetic representation were analyzed using M aximum L ikelihood, B ayesian and M aximum P arsimony approaches. Nodal support was highest for the concatenated UPA +16 S rRNA gene alignment, and phylogenetic analyses indicated a monophyletic Nostochophycidae, and monophyly, although with low support, for the O scillatoriophycidae and S ynechococcophycidae. A conservative estimate is that 11 of the taxa are putative endemics to the H awaiian Islands, further highlighting the uniqueness of this isolated and understudied flora, and the potential for discovery of novel taxa through taxon‐focused biodiversity surveys.