The SilicaSecchiDisk provides tools for research on scaled chrysophytes and diatoms, an extensive limnological database, educational aids for the study of freshwater algae, and serves as the primary outlet for the distribution of data and information generated by the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory, Connecticut College, under the direction of Dr. Peter A. Siver. The SilicaSecchiDisk is also the home site for the Biotic Survey and Inventory Project on "Scaled Chrysophytes and Diatoms in Seepage Lakes Along the East Coast of the United States" sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The primary components of the site include:
	Limno - US: The focus of this component of the SilicaSecchiDisk is to provide an interactive searchable database of chemical, physical and morphological data on lakes, ponds and other waterbodies examined by scientists at the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory. When possible, information on and GIS-based maps of the watershed are also provided. Ultimately, our goal is to expand the site to include similar information on a much larger number of lakes across the United States. The databases can be searched by geographic location, lake name and location, or any chemical or physical parameters. In the geographic location option the user simply selects waterbodies either from maps or from corresponding lists of lake names. The user can also submit custom searches based on any parameter or group of parameters desired.
	ALGAL-ED: The goal of ALGAL-ED is to provide educational tools for the student interested in learning about freshwater algae. The target audience for ALGAL-ED includes high school and undergraduate students and professional aquatic scientists. The components of the site will include an image library, genera description pages, a taxonomic key to common freshwater genera, a movie library and a guide to other useful web sites.
	Giraffe Pipe Eocene Project: The primary objective of this project is to inventory siliceous microfossil remains from an ancient Eocene maar lake that existed near the Arctic Circle in northern Canada between approximately 48 to 40 million years ago, largely during the Cenozoic hot house. The lake was situated within a crater formed from an explosion that occurred during emplacement of a kimberlite deposit. We plan to identify, image and inventory all chrysophyte, diatom, testate amoeba and sponge microfossils and use our findings to better understand the paleoenvironment of this ancient lake ecosystem.
	Biotic Survey and Inventory Project: This component of the SilicaSecchiDisk provides information and findings on our biotic inventories of scaled chrysophytes and diatoms in seepage lakes along the east coast of the United States. Primary geographic regions in the study include waterbodies in the Ocala National Forest (Florida), the Pocosin Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina), the Croatan National Forest (North Carolina), the Bladen Lakes State Forest (North Carolina), Cape Cod (including the Cape Cod National Seashore), the China Lakes Region (Maine), Acadia National Park (Maine), the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (Maine), Assateague Island National Seashore (Maryland) and the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In addition, we provide a page of links to other interesting Biotic Survey and Inventory projects.
	The Center for Research on Scaled Chrysophytes: The goal of the Center for Research on Scaled Chrysophytes is to provide a set of interactive tools to aid scientists using scaled chrysophytes in their research endeavors. The components of the Center include an image library, ecological data, interactive database search capabilities, interactive taxonomic keys linked to the databases, a literature database and links to new taxa originally described by Peter A. Siver. Currently the focus of the site is on common taxa from North America and on images taken with SEM. Ultimately, we hope to include LM, SEM, and TEM images of all taxa. Some components of the Center are under construction.
	New Taxa: This component of the SilicaSecchiDisk will include reference information and images on taxa originally described as part of the research efforts of scientists at the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory.
	Diatom Image Library: This includes LM and SEM images of diatom taxa found as part of our Biotic Survey and Inventory efforts.
	Search the Databases: All of the databases described above can be accessed through this option.
	View Micrographs: The micrograph image libraries described above can be accessed through this option.
	Video Clips: Click here to access the video clip library
	Taxonomic Keys: Click here to access Lucid Keys
	About Our Laboratory: Surf this part of our site to learn about personnel and students who are or have been part of the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory, to examine methods used in our work and to learn about our light and electron microscope facilities.
	Guest Book: Please use the Guest Book to provide comments and suggestions on the SilicaSecchiDisk.
	Course Materials