The Nature Reserve is located in Horsham, UK. Of late the pond has had extensive algal growth. We wanted to know what species this was,and a little microscopy soon showed it to be Enteromorpha flexuosa. The species is cosmopolitan, occurring in freshwater, brackish water, saline with freshwater intrusion, fast flowing water and still water. Presumably a new species for the Reserve, but not rare. It is apparently seasonal, possibly associated with elevated nutrient levels. Can be confused with E. intestinalis, but all material in the Natural History Museum labelled as E. intestinalis turned out to be E. flexuosa and the latter is considered more likely from freshwater habitats (The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles, D.M. John, B.A. Whitton, & A.J. Brook, 2003, p479).
Wild M8 stereo micropscope
Oblique illumination, Leica x20 LWD objective on Zeiss Standard
x25 Leitz DIC objective
x40 Leitz DIC objective
Warnham Local Nature Reserve UK
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Warnham Local Nature Reserve UK
Graham
Though we lean upon the same balustrade, the colours of the mountain are different.
Though we lean upon the same balustrade, the colours of the mountain are different.