Few object are more beautiful than the minute siliceous cases of the diatomaceae: were these created that they might be examined and admired under the high powers of the microscope? ~ Charles Darwin
As Darwin remarks, diatoms are beautiful. They have unique, intricate cell walls that help in their identification, because in addition to their beauty, they can tell a lot about past environmental conditions. My research uses diatoms as a proxy (a preserved item that acts as a ‘natural archive,’ capable of telling us something about climate in the past) to explore past environmental conditions in lakes. Diatoms are a type of single celled organisms called algae. These organisms are found in many wet environments including soils, but I focus on diatoms in lakes.
Diatoms are unique from other types of algae because they have siliceous or glass-like cell walls, and therefore are well preserved in lake sediments. This makes them good proxies of past climates. Additionally, diatom species, like other algae have a variety of environmental preferences. These preferences can range from mixed or stable water conditions, to high nutrient or light levels and provide the basis for climate inferences. Continue reading