Taxon Contributors
Contributors produce comprehensive documentation on diatoms, leading to consistent and correct taxonomy.
Life on our beautiful planet earth: Coscinodiscus, external view
Life on our beautiful planet earth: Coscinodiscus, internal view
Life on our beautiful planet earth: Coscinodiscus, internal view within silicious bilayer
Life on our beautiful planet earth: Plankton bloom in the Chukchi Sea
Become a taxon contributor Learn more
Diatoms of North America is a collaborative work in progress, growing and changing as science advances.
Taxa by Morphology
New to diatoms? Jump into diatom identification using the visual key.
Editorial Review Board
Using diatoms in assessment? Specify the use of Diatoms of North America in contracts and task agreements.
What are Diatoms?
Diatoms are single-celled algae that live nearly everywhere there is water - streams, ponds, lakes, oceans, and even soils.
For practitioners
Taxon
Identification Guide
Genera
Classification information, citations, links and species listings for 168 genera completed to date.
Species
Identification guides, original descriptions, citations, autecological information and more for 1020 species and growing.
We encourage new contributors to submit taxon pages.
This project depends on many people to document the diverse diatom flora of streams, rivers, wetlands, lakes, springs, soils, estuaries and coastal zones.
Recent News & Projects
17 December 2021
Diatom Web Academy 2022
The Diatom Web Academy continues... Sessions are recorded and can be accessed for later viewing. You are invited to join us, wherever you may be,...
07 December 2021
14th European Diatom Meeting
Lake Ohrid is a deep and ancient lake of tectonic origin that has existed for several million years. It is the home of many endemic species of...
07 December 2021
WEBINAR: Use of monitoring data to inform paleolimnological records
Use of monitoring data to inform paleolimnological records, examples from two lakes in northern California Description: Paleolimnological proxies...
Diatoms of North America has been developed in part with the generous funding and support of US EPA, USGS, the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at University of Colorado Boulder and other organizations.
