Diatoms are among the most abundant photosynthetic organisms in marine waters.
One of the marine habitats in which they occur is the surf-zone. The discoloration is caused by the localized accumulation of diatom cells into dense patches, usually dominated by one or sometimes two species. These organisms are restricted to this environment and are known collectively as surf diatoms. Surf diatom patches only occur in the surf-zones of sandy beaches. Odebrecht et al .