The Chlorococcaceae and Coccomyxaceae Families in the State of São Paulo

The floristic survey of the Chlorococcaceae and Coccomyxaceae families in the State of São Paulo was based on the analysis of 269 samples collected over a period of 44 years, from 1 March 1963 to 15 March 2007, in 144 municipalities, in lotic, semi-lentic and lentic environments, including phytoplanktonic, periphytic, benthic and subaerial materials. Twenty-one genera were identified, 15 of which were classified in the Chlorococcaceae family and the other six in the Coccomyxaceae family. This work is part of a larger project called ’Phycological Flora of the State of São Paulo,’ which aims to map and inventory the algae present in the State of São Paulo. One of the objectives of this study was to assist taxonomists, freshwater algae phycologists, and undergraduate and graduate students in identifying freshwater algae, learning about their characteristics, morphology, habitat, and, ultimately, where they live and their importance in the environment where they are found.