In 2023, Dr. Sabrina Brown (Project Director), Kateyln Smith (Freshwater Research Technician), and Hallie Webb (Undergraduate Research Assistant) presented their work on diatoms at the Defiance College McMaster Symposium, the Ohio Academy of Science Annual Meeting, and the Lake Erie & Aquatic Research Network Annual Meeting.
After two years of enumerating diatoms and compiling data, the results show a seasonal assemblage of diatoms. In 2022, distinct zones appeared: Zone 1, early spring into summer, and Zone 2, summer into fall. In 2023, diatoms showed a similar grouping within the seasons. Species like Gomphonema and Surirellia were abundant early on, but as the seasons changed, centric diatoms like Aulacoseira and Cyclotella dominated. Comparing the data recorded by Water Pollution Control to the diatom counts has given a better data record of the tributaries that flow into the Maumee River.
See their poster below:
