It was this renowned diatom collection that drew a young scholar named Ruth Patrick to the Academy more than sixty years ago--and it was Dr. Patrick's studies that led to the establishment of the Academy's world-class program of environmental research. "In those days, the Academy's fine research collections attracted top researchers from all over the world," says Dr. Patrick. "That's a tradition that began when the Academy was founded and which continues today."

When Dr. Patrick first visited the Academy as a graduate student, she became so enthralled with the institution that she volunteered in the Microscopy Department until, nearly a decade later, she was offered a job. In 1945 she presented a paper at a scientific meeting which pointed out that different species of diatoms required different water conditions to thrive. An oil company executive was intrigued by the idea that diatoms could be used as indicator species to monitor water quality. He raised money for Dr. Patrick to conduct a pioneering study of the effects of water pollution on life in rivers and streams.

Click on the image below to learn about diatoms and how they are used by scientists for all sorts of unusual research.

Dr. Patrick assembled a team of scientists to look at everything in a watershed, from bacteria to plants, from insects to fish. What they learned resulted in the development of the concept of looking at an entire "biological community" to determine the health of a stream. This was the beginning of the ecosystem approach.

Diatoms were a key part of that early study and they are used extensively by scientists studying water quality today. Since most species occur only in habitats with specific physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, scientists can compare the species they find in water samples to what they know about the habitat requirements of the particular species. That helps them assess the health of the waterway.

Today, Academy researchers are examining the diatoms found in water samples from all over the country to help the government set limits for nutrients in waterways. This is important, because an aquatic ecosystem can get out of balance when too many nutrients are introduced into a river or stream. For the "aquatic doctors" from the Academy's environmental research centers, balance in nature is what their work's all about.

Click on the image below to hear more about the Academy's diatom research, and why it's important to control nutrient loads.