Chrysophycean stomatocysts in a Caribbean mangrove

Abstract

[EN] A chrysophyte cyst assemblage from surface sediments of a tropical, brackish-water environment in the southern Caribbean coast is described and depicted. All the cysts are unornamented and relatively large. The taxonomic diversity is low, due probably to human disturbance or salinity stress. It is assumed that the chrysophyte taxa involved are salinity-tolerant, freshwater algae. This is the first record of chrysophyte cysts in mangrove environments, and extends the range of habitats in which they are commonly found.