Diatom of the Month September 2019 - Cyclotella paleo-ocellata and Lake Kinneret
A palaeoecological tale of Cyclotella paleo-ocellata from Lake Kinneret in Israel by Hannah Hartung* Once upon a time, there was a lake called Kinneret. Storytellers are not sure if this lake was called like this, because it is shaped like a harp (which is “ kinnṓr ” in Hebrew) or because a bronze-aged city close by was called Kinneret. Perhaps you may have heard about this lake (also called Sea of Galilee or Lake Tiberias), as the lake and its surroundings have served as an important backdrop for much of human history in the region, especially in biblical times. A good example is the miracle of Jesus walking over the lake. A few facts: Lake Kinneret is an old lake, lying 210 m below (!) sea level in the northern part of the Jordan Rift Valley, which is still tectonically active (Figure 1). The lake represents the largest freshwater body in the whole region. As you can imagine, this lake plays therefore an important role for the natural fresh-wa...