A 0.5 ml subsample was prepared on a cover slip, mounted with NaphraxTM, and analyzed under binocular microscope at 1000 magnification. All individual diatom valves observed in the subsample were identified [54–57] and counted. The estimated diatom concentration in a 5 ml sample was then calculated in order to appropriately compare the assemblage, the estimated total individual diatom count (expressed per cm2 of clothing), and the species richness of experimental samples with control sites.
The efficiency of each technique and the impact of submersion interval upon transfer were then compared by calculating the percentage of all diatoms extracted. The similarity in species composition across both experimental and control samples from each site were compared using correspondence analyses