People: Paul Gabrielson, John Bruno, and Margarita Brandt
There is no published seaweed flora of the Galapagos Archipelago supported by voucher specimens that can be accessed by researchers worldwide using current techniques, i.e., DNA sequencing. We have the unique opportunity to provide such a resource and to document the seaweed flora of the Galapagos Archipelago based on DNA-sequenced specimens.
We have two main goals:
- Make a comprehensive collection of the seaweeds of the Galapagos Archipelago supported by voucher specimens housed in two recognized and well-supported herbaria, NCU (Herbarium of the University of North Carolina) and USFQ (Universidad San Francisco de Quito), and accessible to researchers worldwide, and
- Identify the seaweeds of the Galapagos Archipelago by DNA sequences. This project will produce numerous scientific publications, a field guide to facilitate identification by non-experts, and will help us obtain federal funding for a broader project that will include coastal mainland Ecuador.