Filtered artificial seawater buffered with TAPS (FASW-T)
MATERIALS
Reagents
Artificial seawater (ASW) (e.g., Crystal Sea Bioassay Laboratory Formula from Marine Enterprises International, Inc.)
TAPS (0.5 M, pH 8.2-8.4), filtered through a 0.22-μm filter and stored at 4°C
Equipment
Filter unit (0.22-μm) connected to a vacuum line
Plastic beaker (2-L)
Plastic bottles (1-L)
Refractometer, portable
METHOD
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1. Fill a 2-L plastic beaker with ASW. Use a refractometer to check the salinity, and dilute as necessary to 34 g/L (3.4% w/v, d~1.024) with double-distilled H2O.
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2. Filter the diluted ASW through a 0.22-μm pore size filter using a vacuum line and collect in 1-L plastic bottles.
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3. Add 10 mL of 0.5 M TAPS to each liter of filtered ASW (FASW), for a final concentration of 5 mM TAPS (pH 8.2-8.4).
The filter unit and 1-L plastic bottles can be rinsed extensively with double-distilled H2O and reused.
