Diatom of the Month February 2020 - Diatom Web Academy
Introducing the Diatom Web Academy, first of its name (that I know of)! By: Sylvia Lee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency I currently have the fun and exciting role of serving as chair of the Society for Freshwater Science’s Diatom Taxonomic Certification Committee. The biggest motivation for this group is to develop a program that helps federal and state resource managers in the US obtain diatom data that are accurate, consistent, and reliable for use in biological assessments. While creating certification exams is a key part of our mission, our work doesn’t stop there! We realized that we have an opportunity to develop a program that supports and provides training, communication, and community-building among diverse groups of people interested in studying diatoms and applying diatom data to protect our important aquatic resources. All of these efforts together have the potential to advance the field of diatom research. With better data and better s...