Diatoms have lacy cases
Of material silicaceous,
Perforated lids and bases
Made to fit like Petri dishes.
Nursed on Nature’s hydroponic
They’re prolific and nutritious,
Making bouillabase planktonic
For the sustenance of fishes.
- Ralph LewinTaken from ‘The Fertile Sea’, by A.P Orr and S.M Marshall (1969)