An Updated Review of Phytoplankton Taxa in Iraq: Identification and Overview

This updated review aims to survey phytoplankton taxa across various aquatic environments, including lakes, marshes, rivers, and reservoirs in diverse cities in Iraq. 848 taxa belonging to twelve classes have been identified. Among these classes, Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Cyanophyceae exhibited more taxa, whereas Charophyceae and Compsopogonophyceae each had only one taxon. The genera Nitzschia and Navicula were particularly diverse with 49 and 47 species respectively. This review provides a comprehensive overview of phytoplankton composition, presenting a checklist of phytoplankton in Iraq based on a synthesis of previous studies.