David M. John is Adjunct Professor at the Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway and Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum in London. His main research interests are in the taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of freshwater and tropical marine algae.

List of contributors; Foreword J. W. G. Lund; Preface and acknowledgements; Introduction; Distribution and ecology; History of freshwater algal studies in the British Isles; Field methods; Laboratory methods; Water framework directive J. Krokowski; Access to live algal cultures from the British Isles J. G. Day; Classification; Phylum Cyanophyta (Blue-Green Algae/Cyanobacteria) B. A. Whitton; Phylum Rhodophyta (Red Algae) R. G. Sheath and A. R. Sherwood; Phylum Euglenophyta (Euglenoids) K. Wöowski; Phylum Cryptophyta (Cryptomonads) G. Novarino; Phylum Pyrrophyta (Dinöagellates) J. M. Lewis and J. D. Dodge; Phylum Raphidophyta A. Pentecost; Phylum Haptophyta (Prymnesiophyta) H. R. Preisig; Phylum Chrysophyta (Golden Algae) J. Kristiansen and H. R. Preisig; Phylum Xanthophyta (Yellow-Green Algae) L. R. Johnson and R. Merritt; Phylum Eustigmatophyta D. M. John; Phylum Bacillariophyta (Diatoms) M. G. Kelly and E. Y. Haworth; Phylum Phaeophyta (Brown Algae) J. D. Wehr; Phylum Prasinophyta Ø. Moestrup; Phylum Chlorophyta (Green Algae) D. M. John, A. Pentecost, P. M. Tsarenko, J. Huxley, F. Rindi, I. Titley, A. J. Brook, L. R. Johnson, D. B. Williamson, J. E. Bryant and N. F. Stewart; Phylum Glaucophyta B. A. Whitton; Glossary; Standard form of authors of algal names J. F. John; Sources of illustrations or material; References; Taxonomic index; Subject index.