6/6/2016 diatom: cycling of silica in the marine environment ­­ Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Diatom: cycling of silica in the marine environment

Figure 2: Cycling of silica in the marine environment. Silicon

commonly occurs in nature as silicon dioxide (SiO2), also called
silica. It cycles through the marine environment, entering primarily
through riverine runo. Silica is removed from the ocean by
organisms such as diatoms and radiolarians that use an
amorphous form of silica in their cell walls. After they die, their
skeletons settle through the water column and the silica
redissolves. A small number reach the ocean 누oor, where they
either remain, forming a silaceous ooze, or dissolve and are
returned to the photic zone by upwelling.

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