TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACEv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSvii

TABLE OF CONTENTSviii

CHAPTER ONE1

DIATOM SYNOPSIS1

1.1A Brief Overview1

CHAPTER TWO5

GENERAL INTRODUCTION5

2.1General Characteristics5

2.2Facts6

CHAPTER THREE9

CLASSIFICATION9

3.1Classification of Diatoms9

3.2Classes and Orders12

3.3Order Centrales13

3.4Order Pennnales13

CHAPTER FOUR15

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS15

4.1Morphology/Planktonic Habit of Diatoms15

4.2Colony Formation and the Secretion of Mucus18

4.3Description of Diatoms:19

4.4Diatom characteristics20

4.5Movement of Diatoms21

CHAPTER FIVE23

SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING23

5.1Collection of Diatom23

5.2Floatation Method23

5.3Sediments23

5.4Water surface/Column24

5.5Soil or Terrestrial Diatoms25

5.6Epilithon Diatoms25

5.7Epiphytic Diatoms25

CHAPTER SIX27

ECOSYSTEM AND DISTRIBUTION27

6.1Ecology and Distribution of diatoms27

6.2Examples of Diatoms found in Different Habitats27

6.3Diatoms found in Open Ocean28

6.4Diatoms in Polar Waters28

6.5Diatoms found in Tropical Waters28

6.6Diatoms found in Fresh Waters29

6.7Diatoms found in the Soil29

6.8Glacial Ice Diatoms30

6.9Diatoms Commonly found in different Microhabitats30

6.10Adaptations of Diatoms31

CHAPTER SEVEN33

PHYSIOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION33

7.1Physiology of Diatoms - Nutrition33

7.2Reproduction34

CHAPTER EIGHT43

GENERAL FEATURES AND USES43

8.1Diatom Interactions and Association43

8.2Adaptations of Diatoms for Flotation44

8.3Uses and Applications of Diatoms45

CHAPTER NINE53

OCCULAR MICROMETRY53

9.1Preparation of Diatoms for Microscopic examination53

9.2Importance of Micrometry in Diatoms53

9.3Microscopic Examination of Diatoms54

9.4Digital flow Cytometry on a FlowCAM® (Fluid Imaging Technologies)56

CHAPTER TEN57

ILLUSTRATIONS AND IMAGING OF DIATOMS57

10.1Illustration of Diatoms57

10.2Enumeration of Diatoms57

CHAPTER ELEVEN61

DIATOM FLORA OF THE WARRI/FORCADOS ESTUARIES61

11.1The Diatom Genera of the Warri/Forcados Estuaries61

11.2The Study Area63

11.3Taxonomy and Description of Species66

GLOSSARY135

REFERENCES157

APPENDIX170

DIATOMS ILLUSTRATIONS170

INDEX199