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Computational Ecology and Software, 2026, 16(1): 1-34
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Article

Harnessing RStudio package for ecological insights: Monitoring Diatoms with DiaThor

Arpita Srivastava1, Simoni Singhal1, Anuradha Yadav1, Rahat Zehra2, Jyoti Verma1
1Aquatic Ecology Lab, Department of Zoology, C.M.P Degree College, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, U.P - 211001, India
2Geospatial Information Science and Engineering Hub, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Maharashtra, India

Received 1 July 2025;Accepted 8 August 2025;Published online 20 August 2025;Published 1 March 2026
IAEES

Abstract
This study aims to integrate open-source computational tools with ecological biomonitoring by harnessing the capabilities of RStudio and the DiaThor package. The goal is to simplify the calculation of diatom-based indices and generate insightful visualizations for water quality assessment. Using RStudio as the platform and the DiaThor package as the computational engine, a case study was conducted on water quality datasets. Various ecological indices were computed including IPS, TDI, SLA, and others. The manuscript provides an end-to-end demonstration of data formatting, function usage, and graphical outputs for visual interpretation. The study successfully generated multiple plots such as bar plots, heatmaps, and radar diagrams, each representing the variation in diatom-based indices across multiple sample sites. The visualization outputs made it easier to detect ecological gradients and interpret water quality conditions efficiently. DiaThor in RStudio offers an efficient and reproducible method for ecological data processing. Its integration with R's visualization ecosystem enhances data clarity and enables automation in environmental monitoring workflows. This paper underscores the potential of open-source packages to revolutionize diatom-based assessment practices.

Keywords Diatoms;biomonitoring;ecological indices;visualization;open-source tools;water quality.


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