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Unveiling a Hidden Gem: The Discovery of a New Freshwater Red Algal Species (Sheathia meghalayensis Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026) in Meghalaya, India by Botanical Survey of India

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The Discovery of Sheathia meghalayensis   Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026 The world of phycology—the study of algae—just got a little more fascinating. While marine red algae dominate our coastal vocabulary, their freshwater counterparts, the Rhodophyta, represent an ancient and highly specialized evolutionary lineage. (Photo credit: Dr. U Elaya Perumal, Botanical Survey of India) In a paper published in Current Science , researchers U. Elaya Perumal and M. Palanisamy from the Botanical Survey of India announced a major taxonomic breakthrough: the discovery of a distinct, critically endangered freshwater red alga named Sheathia meghalayensis  Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026 . (Photo credit: Dr. U Elaya Perumal, Botanical Survey of India) The Background: Filling a Critical Gap in India’s Biodiversity Northeastern India is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, yet its freshwater macroalgae have historically lagged behind marine species in documentation. Prior su...

Dr. Kathleen M Drew Baker | Prominent Algologists around the World

 Prominent Algologists around the World

Dr. Kathleen M Drew Baker

Dr. Kathleen M Drew Baker, a legendary Phycologist of the 20th century. Her significant breakthrough in deciphering the life cycle of Porphyra - sushi - has revolutionized commercial cultivation in Japan, Korea, and China. Although not known much in the academic circles of her native United Kingdom, her contributions are recognized immensely in Japan. They have constructed a monument dedicated to her at Kumamoto Prefecture, wherein she has carved as “Mother of the Sea". Every year on April 14th “Dru festival" is celebrated nationwide in her honour.

Data compiled by: Dr. Vaibhav A. Mantri, Principal Scientist & Divisional Chair, CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India.

Source Credit:  "Prominent Phycologists of the 20th Century" by David J Garbary and Michael J. Wynne (Eds) 


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