Diatoms are being used increasingly in a wide range of appli- cations, and the number of diatomists and their publications continues toincrease with various aspects of diatombiology, ecology, and taxonomy, the first edition of this volume, published over a decade ago, was the first to summarize the many applications and uses of diatoms. However, many new and exciting papers have been published in the intervening years. This, coupled with the fact that research on environmental and earth science applications of diatoms has continued at a frenetic pace, prompted us to undertake a major revision of our first edition
