Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet — it sustains the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the balance that every species, including our own, depends on to survive.
Sweden’s marine ecosystems hold an astonishing — and still largely unexplored — diversity of life. Through the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative (Svenska artprojektet), coordinated by SLU Artdatabanken, researchers across the country are working to discover, describe, and document the nation’s lesser-known species diversity. Since 2002, the initiative has supported taxonomic research that deepens our understanding of Sweden’s flora and fauna, from the tiniest invertebrates to the algae shaping coastal habitats.
One of the latest projects to receive funding is our GreenTaxa initiative lead by the Steinhagen lab and conducted at the University of Gothenburg. The project focuses on the biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematics of the marine green macroalgae class Ulvophyceae.
Many green algae that were once thought to be a single species are now known to be complexes of multiple, morphologically similar species. GreenTaxa aims to untangle this hidden diversity by combining morphological studies with molecular techniques, such as DNA sequencing and barcoding.
Over the course of the project, at new species will be scientifically described, and a molecular reference library will be established for Scandinavian green algae. This resource will not only support future taxonomic research, but also contribute to marine conservation, monitoring, and even sustainable aquaculture — where green algae play an emerging role as a renewable food and bioresource.
Sophie Steinhagen - Seaweed Research 
Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet — it sustains the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the balance that every species, including our own, depends on to survive.
Sweden’s marine ecosystems hold an astonishing — and still largely unexplored — diversity of life. Through the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative (Svenska artprojektet), coordinated by SLU Artdatabanken, researchers across the country are working to discover, describe, and document the nation’s lesser-known species diversity. Since 2002, the initiative has supported taxonomic research that deepens our understanding of Sweden’s flora and fauna, from the tiniest invertebrates to the algae shaping coastal habitats.
One of the latest projects to receive funding is our GreenTaxa initiative lead by the Steinhagen lab and conducted at the University of Gothenburg. The project focuses on the biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematics of the marine green macroalgae class Ulvophyceae.
Many green algae that were once thought to be a single species are now known to be complexes of multiple, morphologically similar species. GreenTaxa aims to untangle this hidden diversity by combining morphological studies with molecular techniques, such as DNA sequencing and barcoding.
Over the course of the project, at new species will be scientifically described, and a molecular reference library will be established for Scandinavian green algae. This resource will not only support future taxonomic research, but also contribute to marine conservation, monitoring, and even sustainable aquaculture — where green algae play an emerging role as a renewable food and bioresource.
Read more about the project here.
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