A water sample was obtained from an arheic oasis in the deep Sahara Desert, the Gueltates Afilal in Tamanrasset (Algeria). Five diatom strains were isolated, cultivated and identified as Tryblionella apiculata, Nitzschia supralitorea, Fistulifera saprophila, Navicula veneta and Thalassiosira pseudonana using a combination of scanning electron microscopy and next generation sequencing. The diatoms identified are opportunistic and cosmopolitan species with known tolerances to organic pollution and variations in salinities, often found in meso- and polysaprobic zones in Europe. Their complete organellar genomes have been sequenced and some exhibit features never observed among diatoms before. To our knowledge this is the first time that living specimens of diatoms from the deep Sahara are identified using modern taxonomical tools in the frame of a study which also demonstrates the possibility to cultivate such material in laboratories for further experiments on biogeography and bioindication. Our study also suggests that European identification keys can be effective when employed on diatoms from the Sahara.

从位于撒哈拉沙漠深处的阿拉伯绿洲，塔曼拉塞特（阿尔及利亚）的Gueltates Afilal获得了水样。五个硅藻菌株分离，培养和鉴定为Tryblionella红树，菱形藻supralitorea，Fistulifera saprophila，舟形藻威尼塔和海链pseudonana结合使用扫描电子显微镜和下一代测序技术。鉴定出的硅藻是机会性和国际化的物种，已知对有机污染和盐度变化具有耐受性，通常在欧洲的中，多腐质带中发现。它们完整的细胞器基因组已被测序，其中一些展现出以前从未在硅藻中观察到的特征。据我们所知，这是首次在研究框架内使用现代分类学工具鉴定出来自撒哈拉沙漠深处的硅藻活体标本，这也证明了在实验室中种植此类材料以进行生物地理学和生物指示性进一步实验的可能性。我们的研究还表明，欧洲识别钥匙在用于撒哈拉沙漠硅藻上时可以有效。