Smith's Diatom
Diploneis smithii
Diploneis smithii is a benthic diatom characterized by distinctly elliptical to oval valves. The valve structure features strong ribs with intervening rows of pores that are clearly visible under a microscope. It prefers to live on sediment surfaces in coastal waters, estuaries, and saline inland waters. As a photoautotrophic organism, it contributes significantly to primary production within its microhabitat.
Details
Oxygen production
Produces oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis in the benthos.
Habitat function
Colonizes sediment surfaces and forms biofilms that serve as a food source.
Nutrient uptake
Uptakes nitrates, phosphates, and silicates for biomass and shell formation.
Food source for
Microzoobenthos, especially benthic invertebrates.
Human use
Scientific use in paleoecology for determining past sea levels.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important primary producer in the benthos; stabilizes microhabitats on sediments through the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).
Natural predators
Protozoa, small crustaceans (copepods), nematodes, and other microherbivores.
Competitor species
Other benthic diatoms of the genera Navicula or Nitzschia.
Ecosystem service
Oxygen production and carbon fixation in marine and brackish shallow water zones.
Threats
Eutrophication, chemical pollution of coastal waters, and destruction of mudflats.
Scientific profile
Protection & threats
Main threats
Loss of brackish habitats due to coastal engineering and diking, excessive sediment eutrophication, and chemical stress from herbicides and heavy metals.