64PE368 - DIATOMEEËN

01/05/2013 11:47

DIATOMS - algae inside a glass housing

Algae
[Photo: Sander Asjes]

Most of the here shown algae are diatoms that are important primary producers within the food chains in the seas and oceans. They are marvelous creatures, largely due to their unique feature of being able to form a cell wall of silica (frustule) giving them a glassy appearance. Typically, diatoms are non-motile and due to their relatively dense cell walls they readily sink. They need sunlight for primary production and planktonic forms are thus generally found in slightly more turbulent waters (during spring for example) or in areas with upwelling.

Diatoms are single-celled but can form long chains, which has been shown to reduce the grazing pressure, although some grazers like the larger sized diatom structure that is the result of chain formation.

There is a lot more to tell about these algae, but just looking at them under the microscope gives the most joy! :-)

Algae
[Photo: Sander Asjes]

Algae
[Photo: Corina Brussaard]

Ga terug

Navigatie overslaan