CHEMICAL AMLYSES OF MAP.INE AND ESTOARIKE mTERS 

 USED BY TBE GALVESTON BIOLOGICAL lABORATORY 



by 



Kenneth T. Marvin, Zoula P. Zein-Eldin, 

 Billie Z. May and Larence M. Lansford 



ABSTRACT 



This paper describes the chemical techniques and procedures used 

 hy the Biological lahoratory of the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Jlsherles, 

 Galveston^ Texas, for analyzing samples Involved In the chemical and hlo- 

 logical survey of the marine and estuarlne waters of the Gulf of Mexico 

 and also In the many laboratory and field studies and experiments that 

 have heen made pertaining to the red tide investigation. 



During the past 12 years the staff of 

 the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, 

 Galveston, Texas, has published papers per- 

 taining to the hydrography and chemistry of 

 the Gulf of Mexico and also problems rela- 

 tive to the red tide. Included were data 

 collected from the M/V Pompano from 1949 to 

 1952 (Graham et al. 1954, and Marvin 1955a), 

 the MA Alaska from 1951 to 1953 (Collier 

 1958), and the M/V Kingfish from 1954 to 

 date (Finucane and Dragovich 1959). 



The purpose of this paper is to pre- 

 sent the chemical methods which were used 

 to obtain the data utilized in these publi- 

 cations. We have endeavored to describe 

 the techniques and procedures in a form 

 usable by chemical aids or technicians with 

 a minimum of supervision. 



SAMPLE TREATMENT PRIOR TO ANALYSIS 



No attempt was made to stabilize the 

 samples collected from the M/V Pomp ano . 

 With the exception of salinity and total 

 phosphate analyses, all determinations were 

 performed on board ship immediately after 

 collection. 



All samples collected from the M/Vs 

 Kingf ish and Alaska that were subject to 

 bacterial and/or chemical deterioration were 

 quick-frozen immediately after collection. 

 Ctollier and Marvin (1953) showed that signi- 

 ficant changes in the phosphate ratio of 

 some waters occurred within 30 minutes after 

 collection, but that the ratio could be 

 effectively stabilized by quick-freezing. 

 May (unpublished msinuscript) showed that 

 variations in the carbohydrate-like raatericil 

 in sea water could be minimized by similar 

 treatment. After quick-freezing, samples 

 were stored at below freezing temperatures 

 until delivered to the chemistry laboratory 

 for analysis. Our usual freezing bath con- 

 sisted of a vat of 38 percent ethylene gly- 

 col (commercial antifreeze) held at about 

 -20° C. in a quick-freeze cabinet. Freezing 

 can reduce the air pressure within a sample 

 container to a point where impurities around 

 the cap-glass junction will be drawn into 

 the container. We minimized this effect by 

 sealing the junction with plastic insulation 

 tape (similar to Scotch #33). The seal 

 should not be allowed to come in contact 

 with the freezing solution. 



Salinity, copper, eind total phosphorus 



