A group of researchers found species of algae, diatoms, hitherto unknown to science, on the Antisana volcano, in Ecuador.
The finding was made by a team from the SEK International University, in collaboration with the University of León (Spain), while studying the impact of radiation and other pollutants on the melting of glaciers.
Diatoms, microscopic algae that have a silica structure and crystal skeleton, are considered good indicators of water quality.
Susana Chamorro, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Sciences of the SEK International University, stated that the study is a pioneer in the country for the use of these indicators in glaciers.
“We wanted to know what is happening in the glaciers of Ecuador working with cryoconites, which are like lagoons that form inside glaciers,” she exclaimed.
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