Siliceous microfossil preparation laboratory

Siliceous microfossils represent major carriers of stratigraphic and paleoceanographic information in polar marine sediments. In our laboratory we accomplish the preparation of siliceous microfossils, diatoms, radiolarians, silicoflagellates, chrysophycean cysts and sponge spicules for further light microscopic (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) inspection.

The preparation follows routine techniques developed at AWI. The techniques allow for the cleaning of sediment samples for the preparation of permanent mounts for LM or for preparation for SEM inspection. For further details on the preparation of diatoms, silicoflagellates, chrysophycean cysts see: Gersonde and Zielinski (2000). The preparation of radiolarians and sponge spicules is outline in Abelmann et al. (1999).