From Iceland — Marimo Found In New Places

Marimo Found In New Places

Published August 19, 2013

An Icelandic biologist has discovered rare marimo (shown above) at two additional lakes in Iceland.
Marimo is a rare form of algae that so far has only been found in Iceland, Japan, Scotland, and Estonia. This mysterious plant had until very recently only been known in Iceland to be present primarily in Lake Mývatn. However, marimo has also been found in Lake Kringluvatn, Lake Miklavatn, and in Lake Snjóholtsvatn.
RÚV now reports that, as of last summer, two more places can be added to that list: Lake Vatnshlíðarvatn in Skagafjörður and Lake Selvallavatn in Snæfellsnes.
While marimo in Lake Mývatn are often grapefruit-sized, the marimo found in these other lakes are often much smaller – some of them are only 2 cm in diameter.
The dwindling of marimo at Lake Mývatn, and the appearance of smaller forms in other lakes, has prompted further research. Biologist Árni Einarsson told reporters that while it is unlikely that the marimo is spreading its territory across other lakes, there is still much about the life cycle of the plant that remains unknown. Deeper research into the marimo will be conducted next summer.

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