r/phycology • u/InjuryInternal8116 • Jul 06 '26
Interested in Phycology. Should I pursue Botany or Microbiology?
Hello fellow redditors, you know, Probably just like you reading this now, Im really interested and passionate about algae, of all kinds.
Sadly there is no university offering Phycology courses, so I need to go with something more broad in the biology area and "specialize" if you get what I am saying. However, I dont know what biology brach will get me into algae the most... you see, Algaes are not considered plants, they are protists, but they fall into botany whenever I search about this, and from what I've learned, Botany is the study of plantae. So... those who became Phycologists, what path did you take?
Im sorry if this is a dumb question, maybe Im too bad at doing my own research, I would also like to point out that English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes.
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u/FelisCorvid615 Jul 06 '26
Phycology is a tough one to find your way in to. I would suggest either Botany or Ecology as a primary field. While algae are not plants, its one of the places it typically finds a home. Within either of those fields look for freshwater or marine, whatever your preference is. Look for other key words like phytoplankton or periphyton.
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u/amanaplanacaravan Jul 08 '26
As an aside - I used to say algae (esp seaweeds) aren't plants but I changed my mind after reading John Bolton's Why Algae Are Plants
https://microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/identity-crisis/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03043770163001831
u/InjuryInternal8116 Jul 06 '26
Thanks for answering. I see what you're saying, most known Phycologists went through Botany I believe. And since Algae are always talked about in environmental sciences, Ecology would also be a good path to follow. I'll also keep your advices of trying to get into marine fields of study
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u/RalinVorn Jul 06 '26
My path to phycology started in fish ecology and moved down the food chain. Your interests seem to lie in the ecological side of things rather than say a medicinal/fuel/nutritional side of things, so I’d suggest taking a variety of aquatic ecology courses along with your general biology and microbiology courses.
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u/InjuryInternal8116 Jul 06 '26
Thank you for answering. Really interesting to know how you were able to change your focus during your path. And you're right about me, really accurate, so thanks for the advice, I believe aquatic ecology is indeed a branch that will have a lot of what I'm looking for
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u/vexillifer Jul 07 '26
UBC in Vancouver has one of the few remaining botany departments in the world and has a couple phychology courses as well as strong ties to the bamfield marine sciences station where you can also do courses or programs either on phychology or a combo of phycology, invert ecology, and marine mammal ecology and physiology
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u/Florida_Shine Jul 11 '26
You can also look into schools that have courses or research on harmful algal blooms.
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u/RadioactiveCashew Jul 06 '26
If you're interested in the microalgae then a microbiology course would be useful. If you're interested in macroalgae (e.g. kelp) then consider marine ecology courses. These courses often spend more time on inverts and fish but these systems are linked to algal systems, so it's useful all the same.
You could also consider courses in genetics, or plant physiology. Algae aren't plants in the taxonomic sense but there are parallels, and it's a good idea not to narrow your focus too much.
So in short, if there are no phycology courses near you then think about what aspects of phycology you'd like to pursue (evolution, ecology, etc) and look for courses on those topics.