title: Aquatic fungi: targeting the forgotten in microbial ecology.
abstract: Fungi constitute important and conspicuous components of aquatic microbial communities, but their diversity and functional roles remain poorly characterized. New methods and conceptual frameworks are required to accurately describe their ecological roles, involvement in global cycling processes, and utility for human activities, considering both cultivation-independent techniques as well as experiments in laboratory and in natural ecosystems. Here we highlight recent developments and extant knowledge gaps in aquatic mycology, and provide a conceptual model to expose the importance of fungi in aquatic food webs and related biogeochemical processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address: hgrossart@igb-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Grossart
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, Campus San Pedro, Apdo. 10138-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Keilor
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rojas-Jimenez
mesh_terms: D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D020387:Food Chain; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D064307:Microbiota / Q000502:physiology*; D064210:Secondary Metabolism / Q000502:physiology