A new, artificial seawater that facilitates growth of large numbers of cells of Acetabularia acetabulum (chlorophyta) and reduces the labor inherent in cell culture

We designed a new, artificial seawater (Ace 25) in order to grow bulk cultures of Acetabularia acetabulum (L.) Silva with a minimum of labor. To this end, we modified the traditional recipe for cell growth (Muller's medium as modified by Schweiger et al.) We eliminated five of the inorganic chemicals and determined the optimum concentration for 16 of the remaining 18 inorganic chemicals from modified Muller's seawater. Ace 25 enables growth of A. acetabulum from the beginning of the juvenile phase through gametangial formation in II weeks at high cell densities without medium replenishment. This represents a 98% reduction in the seawater volume required to mature each cell, a 30-40% reduction of the duration of the life cycle, an estimated 80% reduction in labor, and a 50-95% reduction in the space required for culturing A. acetabulum as compared with traditional procedures. These improvements may facilitate studies that require large numbers of cells such as population studies, genetics, and biochemistry, contribute to understanding the nutritional requirements of marine algae, and extend the use of this cell to those who lack the space or manpower to grow the cells in the traditional manner.