A previously unstudied endemic may help in reconstructing the “family tree” of the Siberian Diamond flora
The Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the Study of Endemic Algae completed a year-long project to study rare, endangered species of the flora of the Baikal natural territory. The research work led, among other things, to an amazing result – scientists have presumably identified a new species of algae: Olkhon morphotype Draparnaldioides. Previously, it had not been presented in any of the scientific studies.

In 2023, the project to study algae of the genera Draparnaldioides, Ireksokonia and Myxonemopsis became one of the winners of the grant programme of the Lake Baikal Foundation for the conservation of rare, endangered and endemic species of the Baikal natural area. The scientists of the Baikal Museum set themselves the task of studying the historical development of algae, reconstructing their “family tree” and expanding the information on these Baikal endemics to enrich the world databases on algae.
During the year, the scientists have done a tremendous job. Firstly, researchers with the involvement of divers were able to collect more than 70 samples of endemic algae during half a year of painstaking underwater labour. It is noteworthy that one of the divers in the research group was the director of the Baikal Museum Alexander Kupchinsky. Thanks to this, the scientists were able to expand the museum’s exposition with samples of rare endemics that were not previously available for display.
Moreover, during the year of the large-scale project, scientists were able to conduct an important experiment at the site of a unique aquarium complex and determine the period of “survival” of the algae under study. Thus, several samples of algae were first attached to small stones and then placed in aquariums with continuous flowing Baikal water (this unique technology made it possible to recreate the real conditions in which endemics live). One of the aquariums was additionally illuminated, the other – not, observing the regime “day/night”. The result of the experiment was striking: it turned out that the additional lighting reduces the life of algae in the aquarium, while in the aquarium without lighting was able to keep viable algae up to two months. It should be noted that earlier the maximum survival time recorded by scientists was only two weeks.
But that is not all. Thanks to the multidirectional project of the Baikal Museum and the Foundation, scientists were able to speak at scientific conferences and seminars throughout the year, as well as to enrich the international algae database AlgaeBase. More information about the interim results of the project can be found here and here.
However, the “highlight” of the study was the real discovery: thanks to the previously collected samples, the scientists presumably identified a new species of algae – the Olkhon morphotype of Draparnaldioides. Previously, it was not presented in any of the scientific studies and, probably, it may turn out to be the tenth species of this genus.
For example, nine endemic species of Draparnaldia were described by the Soviet botanist Konstantin Meyer back in the 1920s. Later these species were transferred to the separate genus Draparnaldioides. However, there was a problem: the fact is that in addition to solving questions about the systematic position of plants, botanists, as a rule, give algae names according to strictly defined rules of nomenclature. Some errors in introducing new names can be the reason why the names cannot be used. The issues of nomenclature of Baikal endemics were considered recently, in 2020. This means that in the early 20th century, it took Meyer about ten years to discover nine known species, and his followers another more than half a century to study the variability of species and their distribution in different areas of Lake Baikal. However, even now these algae require study both systematically and in connection with changes in the vegetation on the shores of Lake Baikal. The new species discovered by scientists in 2024 does not fit into the characteristics of previously described species and is most likely a real innovation in the world of Baikal flora.
It should be noted that Draparnaldioides algae play an important role in Baikal life and form a whole vegetation belt. Although there is no direct evidence of fish eating these algae, after they die off they are carried to the shore where their remains are eaten by endemic enchitreid worms. The organic matter they produce is then incorporated into the biological cycle.
For reference: there are hundreds of endemic algae species in Baikal, but many of them are microscopic and therefore invisible to the eye. Draparnaldioides are highly visible algae resembling plants. They are also the largest freshwater algae in their family. They, as well as Lubomirskii sponges, omul, and bokoplava crustaceans, form the image of Baikal’s endemic biota. Being large and colourful, they attract the attention of everyone who finds them on the beach or in the water. It was previously shown that these algae were displaced by spirogyra in Listvyanka, i.e. the threats are ultimately related to organic pollution of Baikal. Mass development of Draparnaldioides, on the contrary, can be considered as an indicator of good ecological conditions in Baikal.
The scientific results of the project will help to understand the mechanisms of formation of the vegetation cover of the Baikal territory – both around and inside the lake. In addition, now, thanks to the Baikal Museum project, international databases will be enriched with information about Baikal algae. The educational part of the project will help to tell more about these little-known but important algae that play an important role in the Baikal ecosystem.
I would like to express my great gratitude to the Lake Baikal Foundation for supporting the project. Much more is known about Baikal fauna in scientific and popular scientific literature than about flora. But it is also characterised by the highest percentage of endemism. If you look at them under a microscope at least once, you can see how unusually beautiful their structure is, what different types of branching, shades of green, cell sizes, etc. Our research focused on the endemic genera Draparnaldioides, Ireksoskonia and Mixonemopsis. It is worth noting that the more one tries to learn, the more new questions arise. That’s what happened to us. Mixonemopsis is a very rare endemic genus of green algae of Lake Baikal. We managed to collect only one specimen and this one managed to confuse all our ideas about the origin and kinship relations between the studied algal genera. We have yet to get to grips with its history. Also within the framework of the project we managed to find conditions for keeping endemic algae in laboratory conditions for more than 2 months, although earlier algae died within 2 weeks. This could be very useful for the conservation of the endemism of the lake’s flora
– Elena Mincheva, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Baikal Museum, Project Head
It should be noted that the potential of the project and the need to tell a wide audience about it could not be overestimated. Therefore, last autumn the Foundation provided the museum with additional support in the amount of 300,000 roubles. Thanks to this, the project of great scientific value was continued in the form of an educational block: souvenirs with the image of Baikal algae were made for the participants of the Floating University Winter School on the basis of the museum (to be held in February 2025), a book about the famous scientist-algologist Lyudmila Alexandrovna Izhblodina, who devoted her whole life to the study of algae-macrophytes of Lake Baikal, was published and distributed free of charge, and the museum staff recorded popular science lectures about Baikal algae.
We would like to thank the Baikal Museum for fruitful co-operation and the World Around You Foundation of Siberian Wellness for supporting the project.