and other ocean micro-worlds
Neil, Sylvia, and Elliot (Strathclyde Uni) brought a table of diatoms to a pop-up Museum of Microalgae in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, along with algal evangelist Eric Bear and a crew from the SAMS Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa in Oban. Amazing turnout for a rainy Friday in November, and there were algae-based energy … Read more
Neil and Peter brought a coastal food chain to the British Origami Society spring convention in Milton Keynes. There was gannet chat followed by gannet folding. but really, quite a lot of diatoms.
Centric diatoms—glass-walled, single-cell phytoplankton found throughtout the oceans—have a beautiful diversity and complexity that invite new mashups of the venerable tradition of origami stars and flowers. Neil has been experimenting. Stay tuned.
Diatoms are single-celled, plant-like organisms found throughout the world’s oceans and freshwater. They form dense, short-lived blooms that the rest of the ocean food web depends on, like microscopic rainforests that come and go with the weather. Their exoskeletons are made of silicate (glass) and can take a huge variety of geometric forms. Triceratium diatoms … Read more
