Chrysophycean stomatocysts from freshwater habitats of the Strømness Bay area, South Georgia, Antarctica

The chrysophycean stomatocyst flora of freshwater samples from the Stromness Bay area, located in the northern part of the Sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia, was investigated, using scanning electron microscopy. A total of 59 stomatocyst morphotypes were recorded. Thirty-one of them were previously observed and 28 are described as new, following guidelines of the International Statospore Working Group. Since this is only the second study of chrysophyte cysts from South Georgia, this large number of new morphotypes is not surprising. The cyst flora show only a small resemblance to the stomatocyst flora found on mosses of the same area.