CIMA's researcher Rita Domingues was awarded a Systematics Research Fund project financed by The Systematics Association and The Linnean Society of London.
The project is entitled "Taxonomy study of toxic diatoms and dinoflagellates in a shallow coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa, Portugal)" and aims to evaluate the relationships between toxic phytoplanton blooms and environmental stressors, and also to develop a photo gallery of phytoplankton species commonly found in the Ria Formosa. This project is highly relevant given that phytoplankton is used as a ecological quality indicator in marine and coastal ecosystems, and the Ria Formosa frequently suffers from toxicity problems due to phytoplankton toxins, which results in the interdiction of bivalve harvesting. The project is financed for 1 year and it will be conducted at CIMA's Marine and Environmental Microbiology Lab.