On 4th and 5th of May, we held a two-day workshop on the topic of diatoms as indicators of the ecological status of waters within which we presented the project “Diatoms – descriptors of ecological status of Plitvice lakes, Republic of Croatia”. The participants were students of Applied algology and other interested students.

Due to poor weather forecast, we organized a visit to the Botanical garden few days earlier to take advantage of good weather. On the field part of the workshop, students learned how to use the equipment for water sampling and how to fill in field forms, how sampling is collected in lakes and how to measure physical and chemical parameters of water.

In the theoretical part of the workshop which was held in the laboratory of Division of Botany (Department of Biology, Faculty of Science), students were given an introductory lecture on diatoms. After a brief documentary film, in this part of the workshop we made an overview of the evolution, biology and ecology of diatoms, history and development of diatom research, along with the application of diatom research in various branches of science. Special emphasis was put on the use of diatoms as bio-indicators in different systems of habitat quality assessment.

Second day of classes, students learned about research methodology. Through specifying the protocols and certain steps they have learned how to clean diatom samples and how to make permanent slides. We taught them details of diatom morphology, a necessary step before determining species. In the end, students got the opportunity to determine the species using identification keys for diatoms and a microscope with a camera, connected to a computer.

Prior to the beginning of the workshop students filled in an entry survey, and at the end the exit survey. By comparing the results of these two surveys we got measurable data on the success of the workshop which showed that students significantly expanded their knowledge of diatom algae.