A fine haul of chain diatoms, cuboidal diatoms and needle-shaped diatoms. The chain diatoms, Chaetoceros, have colonies of ciliated vorticellid protozoa along their length. These associated ciliates actually propel the otherwise moribund chain diatom along. The cuboidal diatoms may be Biddulphia. All of them capture light, in order to build what becomes food for herbivorous browsers of phytoplankton.
Lizard Island, Australia (2004)
Nikon F301 | Custom Optics | Fuji Velvia