Name of microbe: Chaetoceros
Where sample was found: Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site, April 18, 2017, surface water
Project: BATS
Photo credit: Rachel Parsons, BIOS
What role does the microbe play in the ecosystem: Chaetoceros is an abundant centric diatom found in the marine environment. It is an important phytoplankton capable of fixing carbon.
Interesting facts: Because of high growth rates and contain high concentrations of lipids, Chaetoceros has been used as a potential alga to harvest lipids for biofuels.