The Diatom World

Diatom biology, genomics and ecology are becoming more relevant to the human species. While there have been recent compilations of some of the applied aspects of diatoms, and the dizzying pace of taxonomic revisions, this new volume bring us up to date on their classification, biology and ecology, as well as covering the topics of genomics and applied uses. In this collection, some of the leaders in diatom research present either new information or summarize recent research efforts on a wide range of topics, including the tree of life of diatoms, their classifications, the wide habitats and ecological spectra the group exploits, as well as the beauty of their form. This volume celebrates the diversity, emerging areas of research and fascinating ecology of the diatoms bringing this group of world-renown and emerging research leaders together. 'The Diatom World' will foster greater appreciation and research contributions on this incredibly diverse and fascinating group of organisms.

This edited book provides a comprehensive and a reliable source of information on all major areas of diatom research. It addresses research advances in the key areas of diatom biology, morphology, systematics, phylogeny and ecology along with their interdisciplinary applications. Diatoms are the world’s most diverse group of algae populating the freshwater and marine ecosystems of the world. They are unicellular, photosynthetic, eukaryotes having ornate silicified cell walls. Diatoms contribute around 25% of annual global carbon fixation, which is more than all of the terrestrial rainforests combined. Diatoms underpin major aquatic food webs and drive global biogeochemical cycles and have several ecological and interdisciplinary applications. This book targets a wide range of audience including researchers, academicians, teachers and students of varied disciplines such as biology, environmental sciences, ecology, evolution, nanotechnology and other related disciplines. It is useful read for beginners as well as advanced researchers.

This much revised and expanded edition provides a valuable and detailed summary of the many uses of diatoms in a wide range of applications in the environmental and earth sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of diatoms in analysing ecological problems related to climate change, acidification, eutrophication, and other pollution issues. The chapters are divided into sections for easy reference, with separate sections covering indicators in different aquatic environments. A final section explores diatom use in other fields of study such as forensics, oil and gas exploration, nanotechnology, and archaeology. Sixteen new chapters have been added since the first edition, including introductory chapters on diatom biology and the numerical approaches used by diatomists. The extensive glossary has also been expanded and now includes over 1,000 detailed entries, which will help non-specialists to use the book effectively.

This book is an introduction to diatom biology. It emphasizes the cell cycle, sexual reproduction, and ontogeny. The authors have provided a system of classification with many new taxa described at the family level together with 17 new genera.

DIATOM MORPHOGENESIS A unique book presenting the range of silica structures formed by diatoms, theories and hypotheses of how they are made, and applications to nanotechnology by use or imitation of diatom morphogenesis. There are up to 200,000 species of diatoms, each species of these algal cells bearing an ornate, amorphous silica glass shell. The silica is structured at 7 orders of magnitude size range and is thus the most complex multiscalar solid structure known. Recent research is beginning to unravel how a single cell marshals chemical, physical, biochemical, genetic, and cytoskeletal processes to produce these single-cell marvels. The field of diatom nanotechnology is advancing as this understanding matures. Diatoms have been actively studied over the recent 10-20 years with various modern equipment, experimental and computer simulation approaches, including molecular biology, fluorescence-based methods, electron, confocal, and AFM microscopy. This has resulted in a huge amount of information but the key stages of their silica morphogenesis are still not clear. This is the time to reconsider and consolidate the work performed so far and to understand how we can go ahead. The main objective of this book is to describe the actual situation in the science of diatom morphogenesis, to specify the most important unresolved questions, and to present the corresponding hypotheses. The following areas are discussed: A tutorial chapter, with a glossary for newcomers to the field, who are often from outside of biology, let alone phycology; Diatom Morphogenesis: general issues, including symmetry and size issues; Diatom Morphogenesis: simulation, including analytical and numerical methods for description of the diatom valve shape and pore structure; Diatom Morphogenesis: physiology, biochemistry, and applications, including the relationship between taxonomy and physiology, biosilicification hypotheses, and ideas about applications of diatoms. Audience Researchers, scientists, and graduate students in the fields of phycology, general biology, marine sciences, the chemistry of silica, materials science, and ecology.

Algal World has been carefully written and edited with an interdisciplinary appeal and aims to bring all aspects of Algae together in one volume. The 22 chapters are divided into two different parts which have been authored by eminent researchers from across the world. The first part, Biology of Algae, contains 10 chapters dealing with the general characteristics, classification and description of different groups such as Blue Green Algae, Green Algae, Brown Algae, Red Algae, Diatoms, Xanthophyceae, Dinophyceae, etc. In , it has two important chapters covering Algae in Extreme Environments and Life Histories and Growth Forms in Green Algae. The second part, Applied Phycology, contains 12 chapters dealing with the more applied aspects ranging from Algal Biotechnology, Biofuel, Phycoremediation, Bioactive Compounds, Biofertilizer, Fatty Acids, Harmful Algal Blooms, Industrial Applications of Seaweeds, Nanotechnology, Phylogenomics and Algal culture Techniques, etc.

Discusses the structure, uses, and reproduction of diatoms, algae distinctive for their cell walls made of silica.

This book is the first in the series of volumes that will be devoted to the Eurasian Sphagnum bog diatoms. Sphagnum bogs are unique ecosystems. The main ecological drivers in these systems are Sphagnum mosses. They originate under organic, acidic conditions with low content of available electrolytes. Diatomological studies of the Sphagnum bogs of Russia and adjacent countries began in the 1950s. However, these papers include the floristic information on only a few dozen smaller bogs. Large-scale floristic, taxonomic and biogeographic investigations have not been conducted so far, although this gap has been reduced by a few recent studies. Diatom assemblages from Sphagnum bog Nur, situated in the northern mountainous region of Mongolia, are subject of the study. Nur is a unique ecosystem in Mongolia because it is the only known large Sphagnum bog throughout this region. There are no earlier studies on the algal flora of this ecosystem. A total of 242 diatom taxa, belonging to 48 genera have been identified from samples taken from different habitats of this bog. Light and scanning electron microscope analyses resulted in the description of one new genus, Boreozonacola, and 18 new species from the genera Pinnularia, Stauroneis, Naviculadicta, Fragilaria, Eunotia, Boreozonacola, Caloneis, Chamaepinnularia, and Neidium. Additionally, 11 new taxonomic combinations are suggested. Species treatments include descriptions, synonymies, size dimensions, and relevant literature. For some species historical information is also provided.