Great Lakes Water Life Photo Gallery
Algae of the Great Lakes Region
Macroscopic Algae

Most algae are capable of forming visible 'blooms' under the proper growing conditions. This page includes the true 'macrophytic' algae (seaweeds) characterized by the presence of specialized attachment structures (holdfast cells), epi-benthic algae typically forming crusts or fuzz over the lake bottom or on submerged logs and rocks, the Great Lakes species which commonly form floating mats, and those species known for forming visible scums in the nearshore zones.

Naturally occuring organic matter in the water can sometimes produce a foam; this is not an algae bloom, though it may be associated with a dying bloom. Pollen, bacteria, calcium carbonate precipitate, and oil can produce slicks on the water surface which look similar to an algae scum.

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Macrophytes

Attached Benthos

Floating Mats

Floating Scums

Great Lakes Algae Species List - Macroscopic Algaes Division Chlorophyta - Green Algae Class Chlorophyceae Order Chaetophorales Family Chaetophoraceae Genus Chaetophora Chaetophora attenuata Chaetophora elegans Chaetophora incrassata Chaetophora pisiformis Order Chlorococcales Family Hydrodictyaceae Genus Hydrodictyon Hydrodictyon reticulatum Order Cladophorales Family Cladophoraceae Genus Cladophora Cladophora callicoma Cladophora crispata Cladophora fracta Cladophora glomerata Cladophora insignis Cladophora oligoclona Cladophora profunda Genus Pithophora H Pithophora mooreana Pithophora oedogonia Pithophora varia Genus Rhizoclonium Rhizoclonium crassipellitum Rhizoclonium fontanum Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum Rhizoclonium hookeri Order Oedogoniales Family Oedogoniaceae Genus Bulbochaete Bulbochaete alabamensis Bulbochaete angulosa Bulbochaete borealis Bulbochaete brebissonii Bulbochaete congener Bulbochaete crenulata Bulbochaete crassa Bulbochaete crassiuscula Bulbochaete dispar Bulbochaete elatior Bulbochaete furberae Bulbochaete gigantea Bulbochaete hiloensis Bulbochaete insignis Bulbochaete intermedia Bulbochaete minor Bulbochaete minuta Bulbochaete mirabilis Bulbochaete nordstedtii Bulbochaete obliqua Bulbochaete polyandria Bulbochaete praereticulata Bulbochaete pygmaea Bulbochaete rectangularis Bulbochaete regalis Bulbochaete repanda Bulbochaete reticulata Bulbochaete scrobiculata Bulbochaete sessilis Bulbochaete setigera Bulbochaete tenuis Bulbochaete valida Bulbochaete varians Genus Oedocladium Genus Oedogonium *# Oedogonium abbreviatum Oedogonium ackleyae Oedogonium acrosporum Oedogonium ahlstrandii Oedogonium ambiceps Oedogonium americanum Oedogonium amplum Oedogonium angustissimum Oedogonium angustum Oedogonium anomalum Oedogonium areolatum Oedogonium areoliferum Oedogonium areschougii Oedogonium argenteum Oedogonium austale Oedogonium autumnale Oedogonium bohemicum Oedogonium borisanum Oedogonium boscii Oedogonium brasiliense Oedogonium braunii Oedogonium calvum Oedogonium capillare Oedogonium capilliforme Oedogonium cardiacum Oedogonium carolinianum Oedogonium ciliatum Oedogonium concatenatum Oedogonium crassiusculum Oedogonium crassum Oedogonium crenulatocostatum Oedogonium crispum Oedogonium croasdaleae Oedogonium cryptoporum Oedogonium curtum Oedogonium cyathigerum Oedogonium decipiens Oedogonium depressum Oedogonium diversum Oedogonium echinospermum Oedogonium epiphyticum Oedogonium exocostatum Oedogonium fennicum Oedogonium fragile Oedogonium gallicum Oedogonium giganteum Oedogonium globosum Oedogonium gracilimum Oedogonium gracilius Oedogonium grande Oedogonium gunnii Oedogonium hians Oedogonium hirnii Oedogonium hispidum Oedogonium howardii Oedogonium hystricinum Oedogonium idioandrosporum Oedogonium inclusum Oedogonium inconspicuum Oedogonium intermedium Oedogonium iowense Oedogonium irregulare Oedogonium itzigsohnii Oedogonium kjellmanii Oedogonium kozminskii Oedogonium kurzii Oedogonium laeve Oedogonium landsboroughii Oedogonium latiusculum Oedogonium lautumniarum Oedogonium longatum Oedogonium longiarticulatum Oedogonium macrandrium Oedogonium macrospermum Oedogonium magnum Oedogonium magnusii Oedogonium majus Oedogonium megaporum Oedogonium mexicanum Oedogonium michiganense Oedogonium microgonium Oedogonium minisporum Oedogonium minus Oedogonium mitratum Oedogonium monile Oedogonium moniliforme Oedogonium multisporum Oedogonium nanum Oedogonium nodulosum Oedogonium oblongum Oedogonium oelandicum Oedogonium orientale Oedogonium oviforme Oedogonium pachydermum Oedogonium paludosum Oedogonium patulum Oedogonium paucostritum Oedogonium perfectum Oedogonium pisanum Oedogonium plagiostomum Oedogonium plusiosporum Oedogonium poecilosporum Oedogonium polyandrium Oedogonium porrectum Oedogonium pratense Oedogonium princeps Oedogonium pringsheimi Oedogonium psaegmatosporum Oedogonium pseudo-boscii Oedogonium pseudoplenum Oedogonium punctatostriatum Oedogonium pusillum Oedogonium pyriforme Oedogonium reinschii Oedogonium richterianum Oedogonium rivulare Oedogonium rufescens Oedogonium rugulosum Oedogonium sancti-thomae Oedogonium sawyerii Oedogonium sexanulare Oedogonium sinuatum Oedogonium smithii Oedogonium sociale Oedogonium sodiroanum Oedogonium spheroideum Oedogonium spiralidens Oedogonium spirostriatum Oedogonium spurium Oedogonium stellatum Oedogonium striatum Oedogonium subplenum Oedogonium subsexangulare Oedogonium suecicum Oedogonium tapeinosporum Oedogonium taphrosporum Oedogonium tiffanyi Oedogonium trioicum Oedogonium tyrolicum Oedogonium undulatum Oedogonium upsaliense Oedogonium urceolatum Oedogonium varians Oedogonium vaucherii Oedogonium verrucosum Oedogonium vulgare Oedogonium welwitschii Oedogonium westii Oedogonium wolleanum Oedogonium wyliei Order Schizogoniales Order Siphonales Family Vaucheriaceae Genus Dichotomosiphon Dichotomosiphon tuberosus Genus Vaucheria Vaucheria aversa Vaucheria geminata Vaucheria hamata Vaucheria longipes Vaucheria nicholsii Vaucheria ornithocephala Vaucheria pachydermum Vaucheria polysperma Vaucheria orthocarpa Vaucheria terrestris Vaucheria sessilis Order Tetrasporales Family Palmellaceae Genus Palmella Palmella mucosa Family Tetrasporaceae Genus Schizochlamys Schizochlamys gelatinosa Genus Tetraspora Tetraspora cylindrica Tetraspora gelatinosa Tetraspora lemmermannii* Tetraspora lamellosa Tetraspora lubrica Order Ulotrichales Suborder Ulotrichineae Family Ulotrichaceae Genus Planktonema Planktonema lauterbornii* Dm Order Ulvales Family Ulvaceae Genus Enteromorpha Enteromorpha intestinalis E Enteromorpha prolifera E Order Volvocales Family Haematococcaceae Genus Haematococcus Haematococcus lacustris Order Zygnematales Family Zygnemataceae Genus Mougeotia H Mougeotia abnormis Mougeotia americana Mougeotia calcarea Mougeotia capucina Mougeotia cyanea Mougeotia elegantula Mougeotia floridana Mougeotia genuflexa Mougeotia gracilima Mougeotia hirnii Mougeotia laetevirens Mougeotia laevis Mougeotia maltae Mougeotia micropora Mougeotia nummuloides Mougeotia parvula Mougeotia pulchella Mougeotia punctata Mougeotia quadrangulata Mougeotia reinschii Mougeotia recurva Mougeotia robusta Mougeotia scalaris Mougeotia sphaerocarpa Mougeotia tumidula Mougeotia varians Mougeotia ventricosa Mougeotia virescens Mougeotia viridis Genus Spirogyra H Spirogyra aequinoctialis Spirogyra affinis Spirogyra borgeanna Spirogyra borysthenica Spirogyra catenaeformis Spirogyra circumlineata Spirogyra collinsii Spirogyra communis Spirogyra condensata Spirogyra crassa Spirogyra daedaleoides Spirogyra decimina Spirogyra dubia Spirogyra ellipsospora Spirogyra fallax Spirogyra farlowii Spirogyra flavescens Spirogyra fluviatilis Spirogyra fuellebornei Spirogyra gracilis Spirogyra gratiana Spirogyra grevilleana Spirogyra inconstans Spirogyra inflata Spirogyra juergensii Spirogyra jugalis Spirogyra laxa Spirogyra longata Spirogyra majuscula Spirogyra maxima Spirogyra micropunctata Spirogyra mirabilis Spirogyra nitida Spirogyra novae-angliae Spirogyra orientalis Spirogyra porangabae Spirogyra porticalis Spirogyra pratensis Spirogyra protecta Spirogyra pseudofloridana Spirogyra reflexa Spirogyra rhizobrachialis Spirogyra rivularis Spirogyra scrobiculata Spirogyra singularis Spirogyra spreeiana Spirogyra stictica Spirogyra subsalsa Spirogyra suecica Spirogyra sulcata Spirogyra tenuissima Spirogyra teodoresci Spirogyra triplicata Spirogyra varians Spirogyra weberi Class Charophyceae Order Charales Family Characeae Tribe Chareae Genus Chara Chara braunii Chara canescens Chara contraria Chara elegans Chara excelsa Chara formosa Chara fragilis Chara schweinitzii Chara sejuncta Chara vulgaris Tribe Nitelleae Genus Nitella Nitella batrachosperma Nitella flexilis Nitella opaca Nitella tenuissima Genus Nitellopsis Nitellopsis obtusa E Genus Tolypella Tolypella intricata Division Chrysophyta Class Xanthophyceae Order Heterosiphonales Family Botrydiaceae Genus Botrydium Botrydium granulatum Division Cyanophyta Class Myxophyceae Order Chroococcales Family Chroococcaceae Genus Microcystis De Microcystis aeruginosa (aka Microcystis flos-aquae, Microcystis ichthyoblabe) H Microcystis incerta (aka Microcystis pulverea) H Order Hormogonales SubOrder Homocystineae Family Oscillatoriaceae Genus Lyngbya Lyngbya aerugineo-caerulea Lyngbya aestuarii Lyngbya birgei H Lyngbya contorta H Lyngbya diguetti Lyngbya epiphytica Lyngbya hieronymusii Lyngbya lagerheimia Lyngbya latissima Lyngbya limnetica* (aka L. limneticum) Lyngbya major Lyngbya martensiana Lyngbya nordgaardii Lyngbya purpurea Lyngbya spirulinoides Lyngbya taylorii Lyngbya versicolor Genus Oscillatoria Oscillatoria acutissima H Oscillatoria agardhii*H Oscillatoria amoena Oscillatoria amphibia Oscillatoria anguina Oscillatoria angusta Oscillatoria angustissima Oscillatoria articulata Oscillatoria bornetii Oscillatoria chalybea Oscillatoria curviceps Oscillatoria formosa Oscillatoria granulata Oscillatoria hamelii Oscillatoria lacustris Oscillatoria limnea Oscillatoria limnetica*# Oscillatoria minima Ds Oscillatoria nigra Oscillatoria ornata Oscillatoria princeps Oscillatoria prolifica* Oscillatoria rubescens* Oscillatoria sancta Oscillatoria splendida Oscillatoria subbrevis* Oscillatoria tenuis*H Dh Oscillatoria terebriformis Suborder Heterocystineae Family Nostocaceae Genus Anabaena Anabaena aequalis Anabaena affinis Anabaena augustumnalis Anabaena azollae Anabaena bornetiana Anabaena catenula Anabaena circinalis*# Anabaena felisii Anabaena flos-aquae*# H Anabaena helicoidea Anabaena inaequalis Anabaena lapponica Anabaena levanderi Anabaena limnetica Anabaena macrospora Anabaena oscillarioides Anabaena planctonica Anabaena scheremetievi Anabaena spiroides*# Anabaena subcylindrica Anabaena torulosa Anabaena unispora Anabaena variabilis Anabaena verrucosa Anabaena viguieri Anabaena wisconsinense Genus Aphanizomenon Aphanizomenon flos-aquae*# H Genus Nostoc Nostoc caeruleum Nostoc carneum Nostoc comminutum Nostoc commune Nostoc ellipsosporum Nostoc linckia Nostoc microscopicum Nostoc muscorum Nostoc paludosum Nostoc pruniforme Nostoc punctiforme Nostoc sphaericum Nostoc spongiaeforme Nostoc verrucosum Family Rivulariaceae Genus Gloeotrichia Gloeotrichia echinulata Gloeotrichia longiarticulata Gloeotrichia natans Gloeotrichia pisum Genus Rivularia Rivularia haematites Rivularia minutula Genus Sacconema Sacconema rupestre Division Rhodophyta Class Rhodophyceae Subclass Florideae Order Bangiales Family Bangiaceae Genus Bangia Bangia atropurpurea E Order Nemalionales Family Chantransiaceae Genus Audouinella Audouinella violacea Family Batrachospermaceae Genus Batrachospermum Batrachospermum boryanum Batrachospermum dillenii Batrachospermum ectocarpum Batrachospermum moniliforme Batrachospermum vagum Family Lemaneaceae Genus Lemanea Lemanea fucina Genus Tuomeya Tuomeya fluviatilis

Based on: G.W. Prescott. 1962. Algae of the Western Great Lakes Area. Wm. C. Brown Co., Inc. *Plankton in Lake Michigan 1983 - 1992 . EPA/GLNPO. Epilimnetic Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Biomass and Species Composition in Lake Michigan, 1983 to 1992. Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis and Paul Bertram. October 1994. #Plankton in Lake Ontario 1986 - 1992. EPA/GLNPO. Epilimnetic Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Biomass and Species Composition in Lake Ontario, 1986 to 1992. Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis1 and Paul Bertram. July 1995. E Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species List. Ds Dm Dh De Do - Dominant algae species of each Lake - Per Results From The Great Lakes National Program Office’s Biological Open Water Surveillance Program Of The Laurentian Great Lakes for 1998. EPA. H Brown and Manny. 1983. Nearshore Plankton of Hammond Bay, Lake Huron. JGLR 9(4)523-529. Additional taxonomic placements based on: Prescott. 1970. how to know the Freshwater Algae. Wm. C. Brown Co. [Enteromorpha, Nitellopsis] Additional taxonomic placements based on: Protist Information Server. [Planktonema]

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