turtle1769 Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 Hi, I want to identify the benthic diatoms present in my sediment cores. To do this, I will need to collect and fix the diatoms in order to transport the samples back to my lab for identification as I am carry out field work overseas. Could anyone help to advise me how to: 1. Collect the benthic diatoms for the sediment surface of my cores? 2. How to fix the diatoms - probably using Lugols? 3. How to extract the diatoms from the sediment, should I do this before or after fixing in Lugols? 4. I will need to use a light micrscope to identify the diatoms. How should I go about doing this? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkin Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 Do you access to a centrifuge, or are you relying on sedimentation? For long-distance transport, slides would be more practical than sediments. https://diatoms.org/practitioners/how-to-make-permanent-diatom-microslidesOf course, it depends on the sample size you want. If it has to be liquid, you might do better with ethanol as a preservative for long term, since it doesn't crystallize. The microscopy is simple enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtle1769 Posted August 23, 2022 Author Share Posted August 23, 2022 Hi Peterkin, thanks for your reply. I do have access to a centrifuge, would you recommend centrifuging the sediment samples and then fixing the supernatant hence, assuming that all the diatoms will be separated from the sediment? I am unsure whether I should also be looking into using the lens tissue method and whether these steps need to be done prior to fixation of the sediment samples. I unfortunately am limited in time so I will not have sufficient time to prepare permanent slides here but I will plan to do this on my return to my home lab. Would you recommend cleaning and washing the samples from the salt, as it is marine samples I am dealing with before preserving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now