Elevated light and CO2 levels increase photosynthetic rates of diverse snow algal communities from the North Cascades

We collected pink and red snow algae communities from six different alpine field sites in the North Cascades of Washington, USA. We used microscopy and 18S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the diversity at each site, which were compositionally distinct and dominated by common red and pink bloom producing genera including Chlainomonas, Sanguina, and Rosetta. Using these natural field-collected communities, we experimentally tested the short-term physiological responses of snow algae to varying light and CO2 levels.