ELEONORA YUANITA INTAN BUDYASTUTI

M52506

K2
Why in open ocean oligootrophic areas (low nutrient) diatom diversityis comparable
to coastal areas (high nutrients) ?

Diatoms are abundant in nearly all habitats . Diatoms divide vegetatively, and, when
resources are not limiting, at a fast rate. Diatoms respond to a certain number of
environmental and biological variables (light, water temperature, substratum type, water
velocity, mineral composition and content, nutrient availability, grazing) by shifting their
community composition and growth forms. Diatoms are can respond quickly to altered
chemical, physical, and biological parameters, include the nutrient that available in their
habitat. their have small size and rapid growth, they may be very useful as ‘early warning
system’ for ecosystem changes. When the nutrient content of the water increases, or
organic pollution is relevant, the diatom community decreases its diversity and becomes
dominated by a few tolerant taxa, in particular of the genera Nitzschia (e.g., N. palea) and
Navicula (e.g., N. accomoda). In the lower river stretches both benthic (i.e.,
Gomphonema parvulum, Navicula gregaria) and planktonic taxa (Thalasiossira,
Cyclotella) are common .

Many diatoms that inhabit low-nutrient waters of the open ocean live in close association
with cyanobacteria. Some of these associations are believed to be mutualistic, where N2-
fixing cyanobacterial symbionts provide N for the diatoms.they have symbiosis with
other microorganisms such as Richelia, research says that Richelia improved 81-744%
more N than needed for their own growth and up to 97.3% of N still transferred to diatom
partners. so diatoms can still grow and multiply so their diversity is constant, not depend
on their nutrien(even low nutrient).Because of their sensitivity, they may be reliable
indicator organisms, and their diversity of a diatom assem blage reflects the number of
species (richness species) and the evenness of species abundance.

Sources : Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences Journal

Encyclopedia of Inland Waters