Diatoms of North AmericaDescription: Beginning with Linnaeus, scientists and philosophers have developed many concepts in response to the question, “what is a species?”. Diatoms, organisms that are constrained by their rigid, inorganic silica cell wall, leave a unique trail of evidence for us to understand diatom species. In this workshop, we will begin with a discussion of diatom life history. We will examine the unique nature of morphological species within diatoms and how we apply the morphological concept to diatom ecology.
The workshop will allow time for a group discussion, as well as a practical work session on diatom morphometrics using the open access software, ImageJ. We will work through learning how (and where) to measure the dimensions of pennate and centric diatoms, and especially on measurement of stria density.
The concepts and skills developed in this workshop will be closely tied to those of developing a diatom voucher flora and may be part of a higher level SFS Diatom Taxonomic Certification Exam.
Target Audience: This workshop is directed at students, analysts, and young professionals.
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