Abstract
Background and aims - The Maritime Antarctic vegetation is a poorly developed tundra dominated by lichens and mosses, mostly present in moist environments, providing a favourable habitat for microorganisms. Although, diatoms represent one of the most common algal groups in the Antarctic region, moss-inhabiting diatoms are rarely studied.
The moss vegetation on islands in the Maritime Antarctic region forms a favorable habitat for non-marine diatoms. These moss-inhabiting diatom communities are of particular interest as little is known about their species composition, ecological preferences and habitats.
The present paper discusses the diversity of moss inhabiting diatoms from Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island) and Ulu Peninsula (James Ross Island), Maritime Antarctic region.