The Diatom

Synopsis

For the last 30 years renowned Utah-based botanist Sam Rushforth has been contracted with the state of Utah to protect its water supply. Every 4 to 6 weeks he drives hundreds of miles from his home to several remote reservoirs in Utah's Wasatch mountain range. He collects an ornate microscopic organism called the diatom. The diatom is the most numerous species on the planet, the basis of the aquatic food chain, produces most of the oxygen on earth, and is a key scientific indicator of the health of a water system. In order to understand our deep connection to the natural environment this mixed-mode 'science film' locates Sam and his team in the wide isolated landscape then goes through the microscope to the diatom itself.