The Harmful Diatom Chaetoceros is a diatom. Diatoms are unicellular, photosynthetic organisms that contain silica in their cell walls, giving them a glasslike consistency. They are found in both fresh and marine aquatic environments, and most remain at the upper levels of the water column where they can absorb the most light.
Plankton form the base of the food web and their survival is essential for all higher forms of life.
Photosynthetic diatoms play an integral role in maintaining the oxygen in the atmosphere, and their silica shells accumulate as sediment at the bottom of the sea. Scientists call these phenomena Harmful Algal Blooms or HAB's. Click here to learn more about HAB's. Unlike most HAB's, a Chaetoceros HAB is toxin-free. Upon large blooms, Chaetoceros will migrate into the gills of cold water fish, mainly pen-reared Pacific Northwest salmon.