One of the specific objectives of the project is the construction of an on-line atlas of reference for the recognition of taxa belonging to nano- and microphytoplankton guilds, particularly in transitional aquatic and marine-coastal environments in the Mediterranean and Atlantic ecoregions. For the creation of the atlas:

• A list of species was compiled on the basis of projects carried out by the Ecology Laboratory of the University of the Salento in transitional and marine-coastal environments in Italy and elsewhere, supported by bibliographical research. This also required the contribution of experts who provided a database of phytoplankton species present in their ecoregional areas, including lagoonal systems such as the Curonian lagoon and coastal marine waters typical of the Baltic ecoregion. The data collected was used to draw up a list of 1050 taxa, which will be updated when new taxa are identified or acquired.
• The various existing on-line atlases of phytoplankton were reviewed in order to evaluate the contents, organization and mode of presentation. On the basis of this review, we created a standard record type containing the characteristics of the species studied and additional information required for the recognition of the species or the genus (morphological characteristics, morphometric data, synonyms, similar species, resistance stages, toxicity, distribution, glossary).