During the spring diatom bloom periods of 1992 and
1993 regular sampling was carried out in Loch Creran
(Fig. 1), a sea-loch located on the Scottish west coast.
Sampling took place in the upper section of the outer loch
at site C5 (56°32.00N 05°19.64W) where the depth is
27 m. This particular site is a known area of fine sediment
and diatom resting stage accumulation (Lewis, 1988;
Lewis & Jones, 1990).