The crown in the scanning electron microscope image above was spotted by biologist Leonardo Rocha while examining a water sample from the bay around Cotijuba Island in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. It is the first microscopic observation of the diatom Polymyxus coronalis, a type of microalgae approximately 60 micrometers wide. The species is typical of Guajará Bay and can be used as an indicator of environmental quality. For biologists Ana Paula Linhares and Pryscilla Almeida, who supervised the study, its presence is an argument in favor of the region’s candidacy as an environmental protection area. The image won a prize at the 1st Brazilian Diatomology Meeting in December.
Image submitted by Ana Paula Linhares, a professor affiliated with the Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG) and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA)
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