History, Distribution, and Habitats of Algae of the Genus Dunaliella Teodoresco (Chlorophyceae)

Unicellular green algae of the genus Dunaliella TEOD. (Chlorophyta) have been used extensively as model organisms for various research areas and for mass culture. Since the early 19^th century researchers have investigated the origin of the orange, purple, or pink color of water from salt lakes and salterns. Earlier it already was noticed that some kind of unicellular alga was causing the orange color of these hypersaline water bodies. This chapter reviews the history of the genus Dunaliella beginning with the earliest traceable records. In addition, worldwide distribution and habitats of algae of the genus Dunaliella are covered. As a specific example the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA is described as a habitat of three recognized Dunaliella species.