Encased algae create kaleidoscope of color
Diatoms, which churn out oxygen in Earth’s oceans, are arranged into microscopic artwork
Under a microscope, carefully arranged diatoms form a dazzling display.
Diatoms are single-celled algae (in the stramenopile supergroup) that live in sunny, wet habitats. The organisms come in many shapes and sport natural pigments of green, gold and brown. To complete their look, diatoms extract silica, a mineral used in glass, from the water and erect intricate outer skeletons. The hard shells are riddled with holes that allow nutrients in and waste out.
Artist Klaus Kemp from East Brent, England, arranges the tiny organisms into ornate microscopic patterns. The design above, which is about half a millimeter across, incorporates freshwater, marine and fossilized diatoms.