Diatoms are known for their geometrically-shaped cells.
Microscopic aquatic plants, phytoplankton, are found in both fresh and salty waters. Phytoplankton have chlorophyll and, just like land plants, consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen. It is estimated that phytoplankton produce half of the Earth's oxygen but, as Dr. Boris Worm wrote in the July 29, 2010 issue of "Nature," they are declining at a rate that appears to be correlated with the overall rise in global temperatures.
Diatoms
According to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research's Tree of Life Web Project, "diatoms are one of the largest and ecologically most significant groups of organisms on Earth." Diatoms are identified by their geometric structures and hard, silicified cell walls. Diatoms can be found anywhere sunlight and water are present including bogs, marshes oceans, rivers, lakes, damp mosses and even among the feathers of birds who dive to catch fish. It is estimated that diatoms are responsible for fixating, via photosynthesis, up to 20 percent of the Earth's atmospheric carbon. That is more than all the tropical rainforests combined.
Coccolithophores
Like all phytoplankton, coccolithophores are single celled aquatic plants that live in large numbers in the sunlit layers of the ocean. However, unlike any other ocean plant, coccolithophores produce a hard plate, or scale, made of limestone. In some areas of dense population, the ocean's color will turn an opaque turquoise hue from the cloud created by millions of coccoliths. It is estimated these organisms dump over 1.5 million tons of limestone, or calcite, each year into the ocean.
Closterium
Closterium are microscopic algae that live in any type of freshwater environment. These single celled organisms are typically divided symmetrically into "semi-cells" which are connected at a central spot. Closterium is identified by its sickle shape and can sometimes contain gypsum crystals.
Oscillatoria
Oscillatoria is so-named because of its gliding movement. A type of blue-green algae, species of Oscillatoria can be found in freshwater, estuaries, ocean waters, hot springs and water high in sulfur. The Red Sea's name is related to a reddish species of Oscillatoria that can give the water a red hue.
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