Working with the DEC and our limnologist, we will be taking a deep core sediment sample on Monday, August 23rd.
The sediment core will be dated, and a taxonomy of the diatoms will be performed.
This will give us an idea of how the lake has processed phosphorus in the past and will inform future phosphorus reduction goals that would be part of the Watershed Action Plan.
You can read more about diatoms here: https://diatoms.org/what-are-diatoms
- Diatoms are algae with silica cell walls
- Diatoms produce 20-30% of the air we breathe
- Diatoms produce long-chain fatty acids, and these molecules are food for the entire food web, from zooplankton to aquatic insects to fish.
- Diatoms are particular about the quality of water in which they live, so the are vital for assessment and monitoring biotic condition of waters
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