NEPCC Culturing Information
Most NEPCC cultures are grown at a constant 16°C on a 14:10 light:dark cycle. Growth light intensity is approximately 50 µmol photons m-2 s-1. Tropical cultures are incubated at approximately 25°C. The salinity of our medium varies from 28 to 35.
Cultures from the NEPCC are maintained on medium modified from Harrison et al. (1980). Natural seawater medium (HESNW) is used for all culturing at the NEPCC but many of the clones grow well in artificial seawater medium (ESAW). See Harrison et al. (1980) for a list of clones that have been tested. Many labs use the medium f/2 with equal success (See CCMP for recipe).
Reference
Harrison, P.J., R.E. Waters and F.J.R. Taylor. 1980. A broad spectrum artificial medium for coastal and open ocean phytoplankton. J. Phycol. 16:28-3
NEPCC History
The North East Pacific Culture Collection (NEPCC) is a living collection of marine microalgae which was formed during the late 1960’s by Dr. F.J.R. “Max” Taylor. At that time only a few “weed species” such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Dunaliella tertiolecta and Isochrysis galbana were available for ecological studies. The objective for building the Collection was to isolate species that were ecologically important in the North Pacific. This continues to be the focus of the NEPCC although species from many other localities, including the tropics, are maintained.
The collection now contains several hundred isolates with representatives from all of the major algal groups. Dr. Taylor’s interest in dinoflagellates is reflected in the large proportion of members of this group. The collection has had several curators, including Judy Acreman, Linda Greenway, and Elaine Simons.