Although there was a wide spread of diatoms
across all of the estuaries around the coast, the greatest species similarity occurred between the Olifants, Great Berg and
Breede estuaries, suggesting that the Breede Estuary, normally considered to fall within the warm temperate region, may be
more similar to the cool temperate type estuaries. Data also showed that there was very little similarity between the diatom
flora in the rivers flowing into estuaries and the diatom flora in the estuaries.