The mudflat ecosystem and epipelic diatoms

Epipelic diatoms (growing on the surface of sediments) are well adapted to life both on the surface and moving in and out of the sediment. Epipelic diatoms contribute significantly to the food web of an estuary because of their ability to photosynthesise, and are particularly important when photosynthesis by organisms living in the water is restricted by its turbidity or muddiness, as in the Severn Estuary. The life form and ecology of epipelic diatoms is introduced and the seasonal distribution and abundance of epipelic species at different heights on the surface of the mudflat at Aust is reported. At high-shore sites the species composition varies markedly with season, while low-shore communities show far less seasonal change. -from Authors