nitrogen
debris
carbon
global temperatures
concentration of N2
concentration of CO2
decomposers
diatoms
consumers
organisms that eat diatoms
sea levels
A drop in diatom abundance affects other organisms, such as the that depend on diatoms for food, either directly (by eating ) or indirectly (by eating ).
Furthermore, a drop in diatom abundance can reduce the amount of exported to the ocean floor, thereby affecting a physical feature of the environment, the . This affects
As a result, other aspects of the physical environment and other organisms (including those that do not depend on diatoms for food) ultimately might be affected by a drop in the concentration of nutrients used by diatoms.