Diatoms

In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Diatoms! Boy is this episode a treat. Our guess is that most of you don't even know what a diatom is! But you will by the time we're through. Diatoms are, to quote from the episode, one of the largest and ecologically most significant groups of organisms on Earth. That's amazing! You might not be able to see these single-celled phytoplankton with your naked eye, but you surely can feel their impact. Considering anywhere from 25-50% of earth's oxygen comes from diatoms, we're pretty confident we can all breathe easier knowing these little guys are around. And, they're as important dead as they are alive! What do toothpaste, cat litter, and the pyramids have in common? Diatoms! Well, diatomaceous earth, but basically same thing. The last part of the episode was so thrilling, we can't possibly spoil it here. But there's a hint in the "Highlights Include," if you catch my drift. *wink wink*

Buy Betsy Franco Feeney's children's book about Diatoms, "Jewels of the Sea" here: https://www.betsyfrancofeeney.com/books

Highlights Include:

- Diatoms contribute more oxygen to the air than all of the rainforests combined!

- "Plantimals"

- The Amazon Rainforest is fertilized by the Sahara Desert?!

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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy

Music by Jake Radvanksy