Design and Evaluation of DNA-Barcoding High Throughput Methods for Analyzing Diatom Diversity: a Test Case Along a South-North Gradient in Central Europe (Rivers Neiße/Oder)

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Water quality and seasonal fiuctuations influence diatom occurrences and abundances. Often organism detection is incomplete or wrong pinpointing to the demand of method amelioration. We aim to establish and evaluate routine DNA-Barcoding high throughput methods for the detection of diatom biodiversity along a south-north gradient in Germany (Neiße/Oder). In 2 Vi years 49 plankton samples will be taken at 7 locations along the river system in 3 different seasons. DNA-Barcodes from mixed water samples of the spring collection, amplified and sequenced via 454 technology and aligned to a reference database, will be compared to results from analyses via light microscopy and SEM from all sites. We will evaluate, whether (1) standardisation of DNA-Barcoding methods for assessing diatom diversity is possible (quantification and/or qualitative detection), (2) new insights into occurrence, distribution and frequency of diatoms along a south-north gradient in the model river system during different seasons can be obtained, (3) the method is applicable for routine water monitoring, (4) the detected genotypic variation can be assigned to voucher samples, and (5) novel diatom species can be described due to genotypic variation despite morphologically homologous traits.