Luster Postcard

Waves of Change Fashion Show Fundraiser, Postcard - design by Xavier Cortada

Diatoms are water-bound, single-celled symmetrical organisms encapsulated in silica. They harness the power of the sun to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and are responsible for generating one-third of the air we breathe. Each diatom species has a different salinity preference, so changes in the mixture of fresh and sea water (driven by sea level and changes in water management) can be inferred from past diatom remains. Their presence in the layered sediment connects us to the ecosystem in which they thrived while they were alive. Indeed, they are a portal to what once was so that we can better learn how to protect what now is.