How to identify diatoms from their girdle views

There is a very important distinction between the science of taxonomy and the craft of identifying organisms. Taxonomists describe, name and classify organisms, learning more about their evolutionary relationships in the process.  Other biologists use the fruits of their labours but, whereas taxonomists are describing fundamental characteristics of organisms, identification is about the “art of the possible”…

Figure 1.1 from Benthic diatoms as indicators of herbicide

Phycokey - Diatom morphology