how do diatoms reproduce?
- Under the right conditions, diatoms can reproduce very rapidly and a population of a small species can double each day. Diatoms normally reproduce by binary fission, where one âmother cellâ splits into two daughter cells. (Eureka 2002) WHERE DO THEY LIVE? Given that diatoms are photosynthetic algae, they are restricted to the euphotic zone during the productive phase of their live cycle. Therefore, they are highly sensitive to any environmental changes such as light availability, temperature, salinity etc. In general, diatoms prefer cold, nutrient rich waters.