Taxonomic Revision and List of Cyanobacteria from the Lucayan Archipelago (Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to document the cyanobacteria from Lucayan Archipelago, and to revise and update nomenclature to reflect current taxonomic understanding for previously documents species. There were 88 species identified in the Bahamas islands and 6 species from the Turks and Caicos Islands. There are a total of 89 species and intraspecific taxa from this archipelago. The dominant order was <i>Nostocales</i> with 23 species (16 <i>Rivulariaceae</i>, 6 <i>Scytonemataceae</i>, and only 1 <i>Aphanizomenonaceae</i>). <i>Oscillatoriales</i> (45 <i>Microcoleaceae</i> and 5 <i>Oscillatoriaceae</i>) was the second most abundant order with 22 species. <i>Chroococcales</i> was the third most abundant order with 20 species (8 <i>Microcystaceae</i>, 6 <i>Pleurocapsaceae</i>, 4 <i>Chroococcaceae</i>, and <i>Gomphosphaeriaceae</i> and <i>Cyanothrichaceae</i> only had one species each). <i>Leptolyngbyales</i> was the fourth most abundant order with 13 species (8 <i>Trichocoleusaceae</i> and 5 <i>Leptolyngbyceae</i>). <i>Coleofasciculales</i> had 4 species (4 <i>Coleofasciculaceae</i>), 2 <i>Chroococcidiopsidales</i>, 2 <i>Spirulinales</i> and three orders (<i>Desertifilales, Pleurocapsales</i>, and <i>Pseudanabaenales</i>) only had one species each.