APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL
MICROBIOLOGY, Feb. 1992, p. 773-776 Vol. 58, No. 2
0099-2240/92/020773-04$02.00/0
Copyright C 1992, American Society for Microbiology
Received 12 August
1991/Accepted 13 November 1991
Inorganic membrane filters (Anopore) were examined qualitatively by epifluorescence and scanning electron microscopy to determine their suitability for the study of nanoplankton and picoplankton. Compared with filters currently used, the Anopore filters allowed for increased resolution of the specimen with epifluorescence microscopy because of filter flatness and increased illumination caused by the large number of pores cm¬² . The inorganic filters had a lower filtration rate than polycarbonate filters. For scanning electron microscopy, the metal oxide (Anopore) filters were efficient support for the plankton, with little charging of cells or background.