Bemersyde Moss is a shallow loch and surrounding wetland near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, and an important local bird reserve. Napier biologists have been engaged in a long-term study of nutrient levels and their relationship with the bird community and other aquatic life.

The study in 2005-06 had to contend with ice cover early in the year, then very low water levels which got lower as summer progressed. There was a bloom of Hydrodictyon over most of the shallower areas in the middle of summer.

Thumbnail Image (click to enlarge: image will open in a new window)	Species (Type) Diatoms Chlorophyta Chlorophyta (Desmids) Xanthophyta Flagellates Cyanophyta
'link' leads to an image of this species from a different location
DIATOMS
	?Amphora libyca	+				+
Link	Asterionella formosa	+
	?Chaetoceros muelleri
	?Craticula ambigua		+
	Craticula cuspidata	+	+
	Cymatopleura elliptica	+	+
	Cymatopleura solea	+	+			+
	Cymbella aspera	+
	Gyrosigma acuminatum	+	+			+
	Gyrosigma		+
	Navicula capitata	+	+			+
?	Navicula ?cryptotenella	+			p	+
	Navicula ?rhynchocephala	?+	+
	Navicula rhynchocephala v. amphiceros	+
	Navicula subrhynchocephala		+
	Neidium ?affine		+
	Neidium productum		+
	Nitzschia ?homburgiensis	+	+
	Nitzschia radicula					+
	Nitzschia sigmoidea		+			+
	Nitzschia ?vermicularis
	?Sellaphora laevissima					+
	?Stauroneis anceps
	?Staurosirella		+
	Stephanodiscus minutulus		++
	Surirella ?capronii	+	+
	Surirella robusta		+
CHLOROPHYA (Green Algae)	Back to top of page
	?Apatococcus (like Desmococcus, this is usually considered subaerial, found on stones, walls, etc.)				+
	Ankistrodesmus (?fusiformis)				p
	Closteriopsis acicularis   compare with Monoraphidium - Closteriopsis shows the presence of pyrenoids while Monoraphidium does not		+
	?Coelastrum (?sphaericum or microporum)				+
	?Desmococcus (like Apatococcus, this is usually considered subaerial, found on stones, walls, etc.)				+
Link	Dictyosphaerium	+	+
	?Eremosphaeria				+	+
	Hydrodictyon				+	+
	?Kirchneriella obesa				p
	Microspora 20µm.				p
	Back to top of page
	?Monoraphidium arcuatum   compare with Closteriopsis - shows the presence of pyrenoids while Monoraphidium does not		+
	?Monoraphidium contortum	+	+
	?Monoraphidium komarkovae		+
	Mougeotia 28µm.				p
(Lugol's)	Nephrocytium limneticum		+
	Pediastrum angulosum (or ? tetras)	+
	Pediastrum boryanum	+
	Scenedesmus ?aculeolatus				p
	Scenedesmus communis		+
	Spirogyra 11µm.				p	+
	Spirogyra 25µm.
	?Stigeoclonium sp. (numerous young short filaments attached at the base)				p
XANTHOPHYTA (yellow-green algae)	Back to top of page
	Tribonema				p	+
DESMIDS (Chlorophyta)	Back to top of page
	Closterium attenuatum		+
	Closterium juncidum				+
	Closterium juncidum ?v. elongatum	+
	Closterium moniliferum				+
	Closterium parvulum	+
	Closterium ?sp.				+
	Cosmarium ?blyttii (larger than type)				p
(4th image shows striations in the middle of the semicell)	Cosmarium ?crenatulum	+	+
	Cosmarium ?crenatulum				+	+
	Cosmarium ?meneghinii				+
	Cosmarium ?subcostatum				+
Flagellate cells	Back to top of page
	Cryptomonas marssonii		+
	?Diplostauron sp.					+
(Lugol's)	Eudorina		+
(Lugol's)	Euglena acus		+
	Euglena oxyuris					+
(Lugol's)	Euglena tripteris		+			+
(Lugol's)	Euglena viridis	+	+
	Mallomonas akrokomos		+
	?Massartia		+
	Phacus	+
(Lugol's)	Phacus caudatus		+
	Phacus nordstedtii		+
	Phacus ?pleuronectes				p
	Trachelomonas	+
CYANOPHYTA (Blue-green algae)	Back to top of page
	?Anabaena (filament motile ! )				p
	Eucapsis					+
	Gomphosphaeria					+
	Merismopedia	+			+
	Oscillatoria 4µm.	+	+
	Oscillatoria 4µm.		+
	Oscillatoria 8µm.	+
	Oscillatoria 14µm.	+	+
	Phormidium 14µm.					+
	Pseudanabaena	+	+			+

John Kinross