Stocking up filtration equipment for marine expeditions

February is here, and for many research teams across the world, that means it’s time to set sail. Shoulder seasons are an important time to conduct marine research because many algal and microbial species are in bloom. Whether your research has you voyaging the open sea or cruising in coastal waters, Sterlitech is here to stock the ship with all your laboratory filtration needs.

We are proud to have our membrane filters take part in the adventure. Our customers utilize silver, glass fiber, and polycarbonate track etch (PCTE) membrane filters in aquatic research.1, 2, 3 These filters travel the seven seas, treating collected sea water samples for retention and analyses of algae, microorganisms, and microscopic particles.1, 4

Track etch polycarbonate membrane filters are particularly well-suited for these applications because they are translucent and have a smooth, flat surface. These features allow for easy microscopic observation, as well as recovery of aquatic microorganisms and particulates retained by the membrane. Sea ice diatoms have been captured for imaging using 5 µm PCTE, and bacterial abundance has been studied using black-dyed 0.1 µm PCTE.5,6 Our unique 20 µm pore size PCTE also enables filtration of large-volume sea water samples; customers process up to 6L through a single disk filter. In past expeditions, researchers have used these filters to study iron cycling off the coast of New Zealand.7

There is a vast array of applications for membranes in aquatic studies: chlorophyll estimation, mass spectrometry analyses, size fractionation of organisms and microplastics, and quantifying metal and organic pollutant concentrations, to name a few. Our membrane filters are also used for a wide variety of marine eDNA research.

We’d love to hear about studies happening on the ocean this spring! Please feel free to share your research applications in the comment section below.

References:
[1] Van der Merwe, P., Lannuzel, D., Bowie, A., & Meiners, K. (2011). High temporal resolution observations of spring fast ice melt and seawater iron enrichment in East Antarctica. Journal Of Geophysical Research, 116(G3). https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010jg001628
[2] Sipler, R., Baer, S., Connelly, T., Frischer, M., Roberts, Q., Yager, P., & Bronk, D. (2017). Chemical and photophysiological impact of terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter on nitrate uptake in the coastal western Arctic. Limnology And Oceanography, 62(5), 1881-1894. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lno.10541
[3] Malpezzi, M., Sanford, L., & Crump, B. (2013). Abundance and distribution of transparent exopolymer particles in the estuarine turbidity maximum of Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 486, 23-35. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps10362
[4] Rahav, E., Shun-Yan, C., Cui, G., Liu, H., Tsagaraki, T., & Giannakourou, A. et al. (2016). Evaluating the Impact of Atmospheric Depositions on Springtime Dinitrogen Fixation in the Cretan Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)—A Mesocosm Approach. Frontiers In Marine Science. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00180
[5] Pogorzelec, N., Mundy, C., Findlay, C., Campbell, K., Diaz, A., & Ehn, J. et al. (2017). FTIR imaging analysis of cell content in sea-ice diatom taxa during a spring bloom in the lower Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 569, 77-88. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps12088
[6] Allan, E., & Froneman, P. (2008). Spatial and temporal patterns in bacterial abundance, production and viral infection in a temporarily open/closed southern African estuary. Estuarine, Coastal And Shelf Science, 77(4), 731-742. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2007.11.006
[7] Ellwood, M., Nodder, S., King, A., Hutchins, D., Wilhelm, S., & Boyd, P. (2014). Pelagic iron cycling during the subtropical spring bloom, east of New Zealand. Marine Chemistry, 160, 18-33. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2014.01.004