Diatoms are unicellular, eukaryotic, microscopic algae that are abundant and flourish in diverse ecosystems. They are also interesting due to their cellular structure with deposition of silica that is due to biomineralization. There are many reports on the diversity of these unique microbes in both fresh water as well as marine / saline ecosystems. They belong to the phylum Bacillariophyta family Bacillariophyceae. The DiatomBase is an online free database that provides information on the taxonomy, diversity, recognized species, etc. Currently, there are 2,546 accepted species in this database. These unique phototrophs are also found in saline ecosystems and have been explored for basic as well as applied research. They have applications in oil exploration, climate change, biomineralization, designing, nanoscience, forensic science, etc. The present article is a review to present the current information on diatoms from saline environments and their applications in various areas. |
