An illustrated guide to some common diatom species from Italy

The EU’s Water Frame Directive (WFD) 2000/60/CE requires all surface water bodies have to be classified according to their ecological status. The assessment of ecological status is based on the analysis of the communities of different biological components: Diatoms, Macrophytes, Benthic Invertebrates and Fishes.

Diatoms are good environmental indicators and play a fundamental role in the analysis of the state of health of river ecosystems.

This guide is not intended as an exhaustive flora of the diatoms of Italy, but it is an introduction to the common species found in Italian river. In this guide 200 of the most common species of diatoms are described by sheets and photomicrographs.