Eight peat bogs and wetlands near Steuben, ME were sampled in July 2005 to assess local diversity of freshwater algae. A surprising number of conjugating green algae, especially from the order Desmidiales, was seen even in this small local sample, summing up to 130 species and subspecific taxa. We present an overview of past floristic literature pertaining to desmid species distribution in New England and enrich the current checklist by 65 new records for the state of Maine. Additionally, eight taxa could not be confidently matched to known species, suggesting they may represent heretofore undescribed taxonomic entities. This, coupled with the fact that desmids can serve as water quality indicators, suggests that the desmid diversity in northern New England merits further attention and research.