Stuart R. Stidolph at work with his beloved Olympus "Vanox" microscope. Photo taken in May 2002 by Jim Watt.

The "Stuart R. Stidolph Diatom Atlas" contains images of modern diatom taxa photographed and identified by Stuart R. Stidolph by the means of light microscopy. The diatom species examined originated from marine and littoral habitats within tropical to subtropical climates, and include specimens collected from the Azores, Singapore, Australia, Java [Indonesia], Hong Kong, New Hebrides [Vanuatu], Bay of Campeche [Mexico], Cape Verde Islands, Samoa, the Philippines, and the Galapagos Islands. The atlas is a significant resource to diatomists because many of the images presented here have never before been published, and the geographic locations investigated have limited photographic records of diatom flora. The goals of the atlas as presented here are to provide access to this exceptional resource to aid diatomists around the globe in researching the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological significance of this important group of algae.

The atlas contains 1,002 images on 54 plates, documenting 414 species from 87 genera. Numerous taxa were compared with the original type material and published descriptions. The identification notes are given in the plate text and complete references can be found within the References Cited. The species are listed in alphabetical order within the Register of Taxa, using the updated taxonomic name, where appropriate. Please research synonomy if looking for images of a particular species or genus.

In an effort to provide universal access to the images and plates within the Stuart R. Stidolph collection, additional partners are presenting images and plates in additional formats. Please visit the following Web sites for access to these resources.

PLANKTON*NET is an online database system for taxonomic and biogeographic information for all types of plankton and holds image collections from locations around the world. The Stidolph collection has been integrated into PLANKTON*NET as individual images so that they can be searched and compared jointly with the existing PLANKTON*NET content.

Alfred Wegener Institute is providing a duplicate copy of the atlas plates and text in order to increase access and awareness of this vital work.

Download a complete copy of the atlas:

Stuart R. Stidolph Atlas (PDF; 110 MB)

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