Marina Potapova joined the Diatom Herbarium in January, 2008. She studies taxonomy, ecology, and biogeography of freshwater diatoms. She has extensive experience in using diatoms for water quality assessment and through that experience she came to appreciate the magnitude of the problems in diatom taxonomy. Dr. Potapova is interested in understanding the patterns of speciation in diatoms, and developing tools for their reliable identification. Her short-term goals include cataloguing diversity of the freshwater diatoms of the continental United States, developing ways of quantifying morphological characters of diatom frustule based on geometric morphometrics, and studying taxonomy and systematics of monoraphid freshwater diatoms.

Selected publications:

Carlisle D.M., Hawkins C.P., Meador M.R., Potapova M., Falcone J. 2008. Biological assessments of Appalachian streams based on predictive models for fish, macroinvertebrate, and diatom assemblages. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27(1): 16-37. Download pdf here..

Potapova, M. and Hamilton, P.B. 2007. Morphological and ecological variation within the Achnanthidium minutissimum (Bacillariophyceae) species complex. Journal of Phycology, J. Phycol. 43, 561–575 Download pdf here.

Ponader, K.C. and Potapova, M.G. 2007. Diatoms from the genus Achnanthidium in flowing waters of the Appalachian Mountains (North America): Ecology, distribution and taxonomic notes. Limnologica, 37 (3): 227-241. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M. & Charles, D.F. 2007. Diatom metrcis for monitoring eutrophication in rivers of the United States. Ecological Indicators 7: 48-70. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M.G. and Winter, D.M. 2006. use of nonparametric multiplicative regression for modeling diatom habitat: a case study of three Geissleria species from North America. Pages 319-332 in Ognjanova-Rumenova, N. and Manoylov, K. (eds.)Advances in Phycological Studies. Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Dobrina Temniskova-Topalova. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow. Download pdf here (large file).

Potapova, M. 2006. Achnanthidium zhakovschikovii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) and related species from rivers of Northwestern Russia. Nova Hedwigia, 82(3-4):399-408. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M. and Charles, D.F 2005. Choice of substrate in algae-based water-quality assessment. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 24: 415-427. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M.G., J. F. Coles, E. M. Giddings, and H. Zappia. 2005. A comparison of the influences of urbanization in contrasting environmental settings on stream benthic algal assemblages. Effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems. American Fisheries Society Symposium 47: 333-359. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M.G. and Ponader, K.C. 2004. Two common North American diatoms, Achnanthidium rivulare sp. nov. and A. deflexum (Reimer) Kingston: morphology, ecology and comparison with related species. Diatom Research, 19(1), 33-57. Download pdf here (large file).

Potapova, M. and Charles, D.F. 2004. Potential use of rare diatoms as environmental indicators in USA rivers. Pages 281-295 in: Proceedings of the 17th International diatom symposium, M Poulin - Editor, Biopress Limited, Bristol.

Potapova, M.G. , Charles, D.F., Ponader, K.C., and Winter, D.M. 2004. Quantifying species indicator values for trophic diatom indices: a comparison of approaches. Hydrobiologia 517: 25-41. Download pdf here.

Potapova M.G., Ponader, K.C., Lowe, R.L., Clason, T.A. and Bahls, L.L. 2003. Small-celled Nupela species from North America. Diatom Research, 18(2): 293-306. Download pdf here (large file).

Potapova, M. and Charles, D.F. 2003. Distribution of benthic diatoms in U.S. rivers in relation to conductivity and ionic composition. Freshwater Biology, 48: 1311-1328. Download pdf here.

Snoeijs, P., Busse, S., and Potapova, M. 2002. The importance of diatom cell size in community analysis. Journal of Phycology, 38: 265-281. Download pdf here.

Potapova, M. 1999. Use of algae for monitoring rivers in Russia. In: Use of algae for monitoring rivers III, Proceedings of an International Symposium held at Douai, France, 1997: 96-101.

Snoeijs, P. andPotapova, M. 1998. Ecotypes or endemic speciec? - a hypothesis on the evolution of Diatoma taxa (Bacillariophyta) in the norhtern Baltic Sea. Nova Hedwigia, 67(3-4): 303-348.

Potapova, M. and Snoeijs, P. 1997. The natural life cycle in wild populations of Diatoma moniliformis (Bacillariophyceae) and its disruption in an aberrant environment. Journal of Phycology, 33: 924-937.

Potapova, M. 1996. Epilithic algal communities in rivers of the Kolyma Mountains, NE Siberia, Russia. Nova Hedwigia, 63 (3-4): 309-334.Download pdf here.

Snoeijs, P.and Potapova, M. (eds.) 1995. Intercalibration and distribution of diatom species in the Baltic Sea. Vol. 3. Uppsala: Opulus Press, 126.