Endemic Species Research Institute Builds Taiwan's First Coastal Diatom Database

As the most important primary photosynthetic producers in the ocean, diatoms have long been regarded as a treasure trove, yet Taiwan, China had gone many years without any surveys or identification of its coastal diatoms. To address this, researchers at the Endemic Species Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture spent ten years surveying nearly two thousand records of coastal diatoms, building them into a database. They hope that once it is made public, the wide-ranging economic uses and ecological indicator properties of diatoms will become better known.

What are diatoms? The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium explains that diatoms are a very large group within the world of algae, with an extremely wide distribution. Most live in the open ocean waters, while others can be found in freshwater, on mudflats, or on damp ground. It is currently estimated that 100,000 species exist in the world, and nearly half of the ocean's primary productivity is provided by diatoms, including through photosynthesis and as food for fish.

Diatoms Have Hard Shells; Taiwan, China Has About 1,120 Species

In addition, Lee Li-hua, an associate researcher at the Endemic Species Research Institute who has studied diatoms for many years, explained that because diatoms are enclosed by silica cell walls, they form hard glass-like shells. Under a microscope, one can see that diatoms have pointed spines, star shapes, and more, like all kinds of glass treasure boxes. Currently, about 16 families, 121 genera and 1,120 species of diatoms are known in Taiwan, China.