Sampling (on board), filtration, fixation and storage of samples.
Classical chemical methods for the analysis of inorganic nutrients and elements.
High sensitivity methods for substrate analyses (HPLC, CHN, TOC analysis).
Fractionation of molecular size classes of DOM and specific dissolved substrates by ultrafiltration.
Methods to study the occurrence of aggregates in situ and their formation experimentally (under water photography, rolling tanks).
Micro- and mesocosms studies.
Microscopy and image analysis.
Flow cytometry and cell sorting.
Classical microbiological methods to isolate, culture and physiologically characterize bacteria.
Molecular methods to identify bacteria and the composition of microbial communities (Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA fragments, fluorescence in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, quantitative real time PCR, cloning, sequencing of 16S rDNA genes, genomics, metagenomics).
Instruments
Light and epifluorescence microscopes
HPLC (amino acid, monosaccharide analysis)
CHN analysis
Ultrafiltration
Thermocycler
Real Time
Electrophoresis (DGGE, agarose)
Gel documentation
DNA sequencer
Flow cytometer (FACS ARIAIII and C6)
Incubation of viruses, bacteria and algal species
Rolling tanks for the experimental simulation of tidal cycles
Photographic under water documentation and image analysis of suspended aggregates