The deposition and accumulation of endemic planktonic diatoms in the sediments of Lake Baikal & an evaluation of their potential role in climate reconstruction during the Holocene

Planktonic diatoms play a central role in studies of Lake Baikal. Not only are they dominant primary producers in the lake's food chain, but (i) the exceptionally long, lake sediment records are diatom rich, and (ii) many of the taxa are endemic which makes them of interest for evolution studies. In this study we have collaborated with Swiss and Russian scientists and the wider BICER (Baikal International Centre for Ecological Research) community to develop an understanding of the relationships between diatom production and life-cycle strategies, diatom sedimentation in the water column, and diatom preservation and accumulation in sediment records. Our primary aim has been to explore, using quantitative techniques, the potential and limitations of diatoms as indicators of past environmental change in the sediment record.