**2. Materials and methods**

The list of algae presented in the paper is based on phycological material collected by the author during expedition of the Laboratory of Hydrobiology of KBPIG in the Bering Sea in 1988. The material was collected from August through October on the littoral fringe during low tides, with the help of a long hook called "kanza" from the depths of 1 to 3 m, and with usage of SCUBA technique from the depths of 1 to 30 m and with a dredge from deeper waters (up to 120 m). The material from Commander Islands was collected by the author during expeditions of the same laboratory annually in 1986-1992 and incidentally by individual collectors in 1997, 2007-2010. Algae were collected from April through September on the littoral fringe during low tides, and with use of SCUBA from the depths of 1-30 m. Algae cast ashore were also picked up. Material was sectioned freehand with a razor blade, placed in a drop of fresh water on the slides and examined using the light microscope. The sections were studied uncolored or stained with iodine Lugol solution. The processing of collections was conducted at Kamchatka Branch of Pacific Institute of Geography (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii, Russia). Material is stored in the herbarium of the above mentioned institute.

molecular-genetic studies in phycology in the latest decade. So our main purpose was to make the inventory of the flora of the western Bering Sea on the basis of our personal

We studied benthic algae of the western part of Beirng Sea that belongs to the administrative region – Kamchatskii Krai, including Koryak Autonomous District (from Ozernoi Gulf to Dezhnev Bay) (Fig. 1). Water areas northwards of it located on the territory of Chukchi Autonomous District (Anadyrskii Gulf, north of Dezhnev Bay to Bering Strait) were unstudied by us. However data on the algae of this area may be found in the papers of Vinogradova (1973a, b), Tolstikova (1974), Kussakin & Ivanova (1978); Perestenko (1988; 1994) but the inventory of marine algae of this region is uncomplete, and additional floristic

It should be noted that in spite of better knowledge on algae of the Commander Islands as compared to other areas of western coasts of Bering Sea inventory of their flora is still not finished either because of the difficulties of collection of algae, especially subtidal ones, in this remote hard-to-reach and little-inhabited area. Besides that the general taxonomic base

That is why the species list of marine benthic algae of the Russian sector of Bering Sea presented in the current work in tables (Table 1-3) should be still treated as preliminary. It is not only due to the permanently renovated information on algal systematics but also due to more careful examination and re-identification of our material and finding of new species

Moreover collections of algae on the studied area were carried out in a short period of time (mostly in August-September) that also makes our list insufficient and obviously its completion needs additional field expeditions in other seasons. Necessity to continue studies on marine algae of the western coasts of Bering Sea is also caused by the threat of extermination of algal species as a result of uncontrolled harvest of marine bioresources. The fact is that rich and diverse vegetation on the shelf of this area attracts increasing attention

The list of algae presented in the paper is based on phycological material collected by the author during expedition of the Laboratory of Hydrobiology of KBPIG in the Bering Sea in 1988. The material was collected from August through October on the littoral fringe during low tides, with the help of a long hook called "kanza" from the depths of 1 to 3 m, and with usage of SCUBA technique from the depths of 1 to 30 m and with a dredge from deeper waters (up to 120 m). The material from Commander Islands was collected by the author during expeditions of the same laboratory annually in 1986-1992 and incidentally by individual collectors in 1997, 2007-2010. Algae were collected from April through September on the littoral fringe during low tides, and with use of SCUBA from the depths of 1-30 m. Algae cast ashore were also picked up. Material was sectioned freehand with a razor blade, placed in a drop of fresh water on the slides and examined using the light microscope. The sections were studied uncolored or stained with iodine Lugol solution. The processing of collections was conducted at Kamchatka Branch of Pacific Institute of Geography (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii, Russia). Material is stored in the herbarium of the above

is insufficient and there are still unsolved nomenclatural problems.

of the commercial sea fishery organizations in the recent decade of years.

collections in conformity with new world data in algal taxonomy and nomenclature.

and taxonomic studies are necessary.

especially having sub-microscopic size.

**2. Materials and methods** 

mentioned institute.

Fig. 1. A schematic map of the part of Bering Sea including Commander Islands. Arrows show the direction of the Eastern Kamchatka and Alaskan currents. Numbers correspond to the specially protected nature areas (SPNA-s) within the studied area: **1** – Commander state biosphere reserve; **2** - Reserve "Karaginskii Island"; **3** - State nature reserve of federal significance "Koryakskii"; **4** - Nature park "Beringia". Abbreviations correspond to the names of major water areas of Bering Sea where algae were collected: **NR- Navarinskii Region, O – Olyutorskii Gulf, K- Karaginskii Gulf, OZ – Ozernoi Gulf.** 
