A guide to the pronunciation of the scientific names for harmful algae

A historical review of scientific nomenclature and of the pronunciation of classical languages suggests that there is no objectively correct way to en unciate the technical terms applied to harmful algae. Any guide to pronunci ation is always relative to some group of speakers; scientific nomenclature is an artificial construct without a population of normative speakers, liv ing or dead, to whom the bewildered enunciator can have reference. Thus a k ey to the pronunciation of the Latin and Greek scientific terms in all disc iplines, and a fortiori to the pronunciation of those terms applied to harm ful algae, must be based on rules of common sense, mutual forbearance, and general intelligibility. This article includes a guide to pronouncing the n ames of harmful algae based on these principles.