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CALIFORNIA   Personnel

Temperature and light-controlled rooms
Samples are stored in cold rooms maintained at 4°C, until needed for testing. Testing is conducted in temperature and light-controlled environmental chambers. Modifiable environmental chambers are typically set at 15, 20, or 25°C (or changed as project needs require) and maintained within ± 1°C of the target temperature. If more than three temperatures are required at any given time, water baths equipped with either heaters or chiller units, as appropriate, are maintained as alternate temperature control systems. Fluorescent lighting provides illumination in all testing areas. Specific wavelengths are used for individual tests as dictated by the protocol and laboratory SOP. Photoperiod is controlled with a timing device.

Water systems
The laboratory's seawater system provides filtered, temperature-regulated seawater for testing and animal culture and holding. Natural seawater is collected from the Pacific Ocean and is high-pressure sand filtered at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California before transport to the lab by truck. In the lab, seawater is stored in two 2,200-gallon storage tanks. The seawater is continuously cycled through an in-line 20-µm fiber filter system and a chiller unit prior to being delivered to sample preparation and testing areas. Seawater is piped throughout the lab via PVC supply lines at a rate of 10-20 gallons per minute; thus the majority of the water is recycled back into the storage tanks. The seawater system is a once-through system in that all water released from the supply lines into test or culture areas is discharged into the sewer system. The stored water is cycled through the filter and chiller system approximately 10-15 times per day.

High quality, laboratory-grade freshwater is obtained from a Culligan water treatment system. It employs a series of carbon filters and water softeners regularly maintained by the manufacturer. This water is supplied by PVC pipe throughout the lab, and can be used for flow-through bioassays.

The laboratory generates high-purity deionized water using a system set up and maintained by U.S. Filter. Water is fed through a system consisting of a pre-filter, an activated carbon tank, two mixed bed resin tanks, and a post-filter. This water is used for synthetic seawater preparation , dilution of natural seawater, and as a final rinse for all glassware.

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WASHINGTON   Personnel

Temperature and light-controlled rooms
Samples are stored in cold rooms maintained at 4°C, until needed for testing. Testing is conducted in temperature and light-controlled environmental chambers. Modifiable environmental chambers are typically set at 12, 15, 20, or 25°C (or changed as project needs require) and maintained within ± 1°C of the target temperature. Fluorescent lighting provides illumination in all testing areas. Specific wavelengths are used for individual tests as dictated by the protocol and laboratory SOP. Photoperiod is controlled with a timing device.

Water systems
The laboratory obtains natural seawater from the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington , which collects and filters seawater from Puget Sound. Seawater is stored in clean 20-L cubitainers and/or large Nalgene® containers and is discarded if not used within 14 days.

The laboratory generates high-purity deionized water using a system built and maintained by U.S. Filter. Water is fed through a system consisting of a pre-filter, an activated carbon tank, two mixed bed resin tanks, and a post-filter. This water is used as the basis for all preparing test water, and as the final rinse for all laboratory glassware.

The laboratory also uses dechlorinated tap water, which is generated using a system set up and regularly maintained by U.S. Filter. Water is fed through a system consisting of a pre-filter, two activated carbon tanks, and a post-filter.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA   Personnel

Temperature and light-controlled rooms
Samples are stored in a cold room maintained at 4 ± 2°C, until testing is initiated. Testing of samples is conducted in environmental chambers maintained at 10, 15, 20, or 25°C within ± 1°C of test temperature. Temperature in each chamber can be adjusted to meet protocol or client-specific requirements. Illumination in each chamber is provided by cool white fluorescent or full-spectrum light. Photoperiod is controlled with a timing device.

Water systems
The laboratory uses three types of water for culturing organisms and testing: seawater, dechlorinated municipal water and deionized water. Natural seawater is collected at depth from Burrard Inlet. Seawater is stored in 200-L containers at test temperature, filtered, UV-sterilized and aerated prior to use in tests. Dechlorinated water for culturing and testing is generated by filtering municipal tap water through activated charcoal to remove chlorine and adjusted to pH 7 using limestone. High quality deionized water is obtained by passing dechlorinated water through a reverse osmosis system. This water serves as the basis for preparing synthetic water for marine and freshwater testing.

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