IMIS

Pat is the Chief taxonomic editor for Diatoms, the group of organisms that has recently been added to WoRMS/ Aphia database. He was responsible for creating and maintaining the first comprehensive registry of diatom names (California Academy Catalogue of Diatom Names), one of the most important nomenclatural and taxonomic resources of diatomists. Pat initiated the transfer of the CalAcademy catalogue to WoRMS and organized the current work on merging it with other registries, clean-up and editing. The workshop held in March 2017 revealed that incorporating diatom names into Aphia is not always straightforward as there are some conceptual differences between existing diatom lists and other WoRMS registries. Such nuances need to be taken into account to prevent loss of information important for users. As a highly experienced systematist, Pat is well familiar with International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and its application to diatoms; his participation in the work of the Steering Committee would greatly benefit the resource.