Oceanography

Artificial seawater

           Artificial seawater of 33 ppt was prepared by dissolving 3.5 kg of seasalt crystals in 100 1 of fresh water along with 100 g of calcium chloride and 10 g of sodium bicarbonate. The next day  the solution was filtered and the PH was adjusted to that of natural seawater with     0.1 N NaOH. Artificial seawater is used mostly for small aquarium research projects that need a highly repeatable and predictable seawater sources or inland systems where there is little choice. The advantage of artificial seawater is that it has a defined composition with reduced risk of chemical and biological contamination. Artificial seawater systems often work quite well, especially if operated very conservatively. However for some specialized applications such as the hatchery phases of delicate organisms, there may be some problems due to complex interactions of seawater and organisms which are presently poorly understood (Huguenin and colt, 1989). Artificial seawater formulations that are useable with animals may not be suitable for plants.