01.Feb.2011 [parameters] Diatoms
Diatoms are one of the basic eight types of algaes found in nature. They are unicellular organisms characterized by their silica shell. They occur in abundance in the early part of the year as ‘Spring Bloom’ which occurs due to the availability of light and nutrients required to flourish.
When conditions are favorable, i.e availability of lights and nutrients, their competitive edge like the blur-green algae etc. let them dominate the phytoplankton community, hence they are known as ‘r-Strategists’. They show the spring bloom by rising to the surface of water, there is a synthesis of a sticky agent from their bodies called the mucilage which help them stick together and float on the surface of water like a mesh weaved together. They also reproduce at this stage.
During the unfavorable conditions, they disintegrate and sink to the bottom of the water level, where they remain dormant.
They are found in all different types of water bodies e.g. sea, lakes, ponds etc.
