Diagnosis prospectiva sobre la diversidad de diatomeas epilíticas en la laguna Bacalar, Quintana Roo, México

Recently Bacalar lagoon,Quintana Roo has received much attention because of its high eco-touristic and scientific potential due to the presence of microbialites (thrombolites and stromatolites). Nonetheless, the surrounding tourist and agricultural activities represent potential pollution risks that deserve our concern. Opportune ecological monitoring represents an alternative for the adequate managing of these ecosystems. A reliable floristic basis of diatoms renders an effective reference for the detection of environmental contingencies. Thus an exploratory study of benthic diatom associations that live on the microbialites was undertaken. Sixty eight diatomtaxa were identified and floristic and iconographic references for most of these are provided. Eleven taxa are recorded for the first time in Mexican fresh-water bodies.The observed species richness suggests a high diversity. However, the frequency and abundance of widely distributed diatom taxa such as Denticula elegans, D. kuetzingii and Nitzschia amphibia could have hindered the appreciation of said diversity. The diatoms here recorded represent solely a non-living microbialithic substrate. It is thus necessary to widen the inventory to include taxa living in other substrata and in the cyanobacterial mats related to the microbialites.