20.500.12556/DiRROS-25692 Unveiling microalgal diversity in Slovenian transitional waters (Adriatic Sea) a first step toward ecological status assessment This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of microalgal diversity in two Slovenian transitional waters (TWs): the shallow brackish lagoon of the Škocjanski Zatok Nature Reserve (SZNR) and the Rižana River estuary within the Port of Koper (PK) area. Between 2018 and 2021, water samples collected with a phytoplankton net were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy. In total, 240 species from 117 genera were identified in TW, dominated by diatoms and dinoflagellates, surpassing the diversity at a marine coastal station (91 species, 59 genera). Species richness was higher in PK (226) than in SZNR (154), mainly due to dinoflagellates and coccolithophores. Marine taxa predominated along the salinity gradient, with moderate contributions from brackish taxa and fewfreshwater forms, reflecting both natural and anthropogenic influences. Planktonic taxa dominated at all sites, while benthic forms were abundant in the lagoon, particularly in spring. Thirty-two taxa were recorded for the first time in Slovenian TW, mostly benthic or tychopelagic diatoms. The detection of Coolia monotis and five cyanobacterial genera with potentially harmful traits highlights the role of TW as an ecological interface. The taxonomic sufficiency analysis showed that the order level is sufficient to distinguish transitional from marine assemblages, beyond which ecological information is lost. Overall, this study highlights the importance of detailed taxonomic resolution for detecting microalgal diversity, including harmful and non-indigenous species to ensure robust ecological assessments under the WFD and MSFD directives. transitional waters diversity phytoplankton harmful algal blooms non-indigenous species Adriatic Sea tranzicijske vode mikroalge fitoplankton škodljiva cvetenja alg (HAB) Jadransko morje true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Neznano 2026-01-27 12:45:00 2026-01-27 12:45:00 2026-01-28 04:15:07 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 8. 1. 2026; Soavtorji: Janja Francé, Ana Fortič, Patricija Mozetič; str. 1-24 iss. 1, [article no.] 21 Vol. 18 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno apc 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2025-12-29 574.5 1424-2818 10.3390/d18010021 264014851 https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/18/1/21 1 a53b0903-fb75-11f0-a15d-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=38998 diversity-18-00021-s001.zip diversity-18-00021-s001.zip 1 ADFFC6A53721E1A7DC12686B373C8AF2 2308031bb5998cd8e6fe39dd39ad2adb6fc21cce45460cc6329fc4799c114262 17b3f6b7-fb76-11f0-a15d-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=38999 RAZ_Slavinec_Petra_2026.pdf RAZ_Slavinec_Petra_2026.pdf 1 A36EECCCE87E3AB22E696AF644503BB5 cf67b7ebbcf721c15b06f77fcb6845dbaecd6155e856028bc1bb96673cc77dd4 20e04b86-fb76-11f0-a15d-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=39000 Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo 0 0 0