Developing strategies and tools for the monitoring of aquatic fungal biodiversity

The biodiversity of aquatic fungi remains vastly underexplored, including the taxonomy and biogeography of species and their responses to environmental changes. Aquatic fungi contribute substantially to ecosystem processes and services, and interact with other organisms in aquatic food webs, as decomposers, symbionts, pathogens, and parasites. All these roles depend on different facets of aquatic fungal biodiversity. Despite increasing recognition of their importance for ecosystems and societies, aquatic fungi are not included in routine biodiversity monitoring programs, unlike other key aquatic organism groups, such as fish and macroinvertebrates. These gaps in knowledge and policy impede effective management and conservation of aquatic fungi and of the crucial ecosystem processes and services they provide. Through MoSTFun, a Biodiversa+ project, we aim to develop…