Sampling

Time frame

New collections are welcomed until mid-2024.

Taxonomic scope

Foliose species (Ulva, Umbraulva, Ulvaria), tubes (Ulva ~ former Enteromorpha, Blidingia), and other green blades Monostroma/Gayralia.

Sampling

Since our aim is to cover the diversity as good as possible, we encourage you to look at different habitats (estuaries, salt marshes, open coast, subtidal habitats, etc), morphologies (blades, tubes, very fine tubes), and seasons.

Preservation in silica gel (diversity)

We accept recent collections preserved in silica gel. Pay attention to preserve material from a single individual in silica. This way one avoids mixing material of different species which complicates the sequencing. This may seem trivial for large foliose species, but the fine tubular ones are more tricky here.

Biochemistry and microbiome analyses

In parallel with the EULVA initiative, the European COST Action Seawheat welcomes samples for biochemical and microbiome analyses. If you wish to contribute to samples for those analyses, please read the following guidelines carefully. link.

What you need:

A fresh and clean Ulva sample
Razor blade or scissors
Paper towel
A small ziplock bag or Eppendorf tube
Silica gel

Method

Cut a piece of Ulva tissue of 1-2 cm2
Clean it by gently wiping it with a paper towel and blot dry

Storing the sample in an Eppendorf tube

Fill 1/3 of the tube with silica gel
Place the tissue in the tube
Fill it up with silica gel
Label the tube with the sampling number and/or location, date and collector

Storing the sample in a ziplock bag (alternative)

Transfer the tissue to a ziplock bag containing silica gel. Make sure the sample is covered in silica.
Seal the bag.
Label the bag with the sampling number and/or location, date and collector

Herbarium specimens and pictures

We encourage you to make voucher specimens. Be aware that a meaningful interpretation of the voucher (e.g. morphology, ecology) is only possible if the silica voucher is a fragment of the herbarium specimen. Deposit them in a registered herbarium (see Index Herbariorum) and communicate us the herbarium accession number. Depositing vouchers in a herbarium in your home country avoids complication regarding access and benefit sharing (Nagoya protocol). If you experience problems with depositing your herbarium specimens in an official institution in your country, please contact frederik.leliaert[at]meisebotanicgarden.be.

Please also take a photograph of the specimen or herbarium voucher.

Specimen metadata

Please use this form to record metadata associated with the samples and send it to olivier.declerck[at]ugent.be. As a minimal standard, to be considered in the survey at least collector, sample number, date and locality should be completed. Also indicate in which herbarium the voucher is stored. Additional metadata is encouraged.

We have set up a BOLD-project which will allow all collaborators to access the progress at any stage during the project. Pictures of the specimens or vouchers can also be uploaded in BOLD.

Link to EULVA BOLD project (currently only accessible for users with access)

Mailing the silica material

Please send the silica material to:

Olivier De Clerck
Phycology Group, Biology Department
Ghent University
Krijgslaan 281 S8
9000 Gent
Belgium

We look forward to receiving plenty of samples from you ! If you have any question please get back to us.

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