Wednesday 15 October 2014

Minature Mother Nature

Have you heard of Diatoms? I haven't until a few weeks ago in my biology lecture.

What are they? They are a major group of algae, and among the most common types of phytoplankton...
Strikingly beautiful for being a few microns in size!

What's more incredible is that they account for over 85% of the world's Carbon sink in the oceans; curious to think, could increasing their populations in the oceans provide a means of removing carbon from our atmosphere? Increasing carbon dioxide causes oceans to be more acidic - although it's a nice notion to use diatoms to our environmental advantage, their numbers have been dwindling due to increasing temperature in the waters, which causes their structural breakdown.
But nevertheless, it's stunningly beautiful how small and perfectly symmetrical they are. What I like is how scientists put together diatoms under the microscope in arrangements into art.

More diatom art, click the link here.

Enjoy,
Marina G.





They have been used in many artistic arrangements






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