How to measure the invisible?

Microalgal biodiversity as the indicator of soil reclamation in sand pit post-mining sites.

As part of the #QuarryLifeAward project, we’ve started measuring microalgal biovolume in the collected soil samples from the Cep II sand pit.

💧 First, we dilute the soil with water and use direct light microscopy to observe the cells. Then, using stereometric formulas, we calculate the biovolume — the total volume occupied by microalgae in the sample.

📊 This approach helps us to:
• assess how rich the soil is in microalgae;
• determine which groups dominate — cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, or prokaryotes;
• identify which taxonomic groups or even genera are present directly under the microscope.

🧬 It’s a key step in understanding which organisms drive soil recovery and how biodiversity returns after mining.

📢 More to come…

#QLA6 #QuarryLifeAward