Secondment of Andrzej Witkowski and Romain GastineauUS to USa

From November 9, 2017 to December 8, 2017

The major topics of the planned secondments in University of Saigon were:

• Searching for blue Haslea
• Studying the biodiversity of non blue Haslea in Vietnam coastal waters
• Transfer of knowledge: joint work with the University of Saigon staff and students on isolation, maintenance in culture and identification of diatoms from samples taken in Vietnamese coastal waters.

Three sampling campaigns have been performed during our secondment period.

1. Con Dao Islands during 11-15 November 2017 from the coral reef 21 samples have been collected from various habitats, e.g. from the sediments, mangroves, coral reefs of the South Vietnam.

2. Mangrove forests of the Can Gio region on Saturday November 25th 2017 - 11 samples have been collected from the mangroves, muddy sediments and coastal zone.

3. Ha Long Bay during the period of December 3rd - 6th 2017 – 14 samples have been collected from sediments, seaweeds and water of the famous location with coral reefs in North of Vietnam.

The time spent in the Laboratory of the University of Saigon between sampling campaigns has been dedicated to training with students. All samples have been subject to isolation of living diatoms. Special attention has been paid to isolation of Haslea-like diatoms. As a result a few dozens of Strains have been isolated in Saigon. Among them two non-blue Haslea Strains are kept alive. From the splits of living samples permanent light microscopic preparations have made. Students have been introduced into the identifications of marine benthic diatoms.