#Filtered Artificial Sea Water (FASW) Protocol ##Method from the Master’s thesis of: Ben Berman

Filtered artificial seawater (FASW) is a controlled experimental medium ideal for laboratory usage as it mimics natural seawater in salinity and ionic composotion while minimizing the presence of external contaminents and unwanted microorganisims.

###Methods:

• Obtain a large (1 L - 2 L) Erlenmeyer flask, and place it on a stir plate with a stir bar gently placed at the bottom of the flask.
• Measure 1 L of double deionized H₂O (ddH₂O), and add the majority (750 mL - 800 mL) to the flask. Set the stiring at a gentle pace to swirl the water.
• The Red Sea Salt (Red Sea Ltd.) artificial sea salt mixture was used for this experiment. Small amounts were added to the swirling ddH₂O until a final salinity between 38-40 was reached
  • This is equivalent to how artifical sea water is made for the aquariums used Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences in Haifa, Israel.
• Remove the stir bar from the flask. In a sterilized chemical hood, pour the 1 L solution through a sterilized 0.22 uL filter into a sterilized 1 L media storage bottle.
• Seal the bottle tightly in the chemical hood, and place in storage until needed.