The filtration for Total Suspended Matter (TSM) was carried out using the Sartorius membrane filters with pore size 0.45 micrometer. These filters were weighed before each campaign after having been washed with distilled water and left in the oven at 60 C for 24 hours. The filtration was then carried out on the cruise. The volumes of sea water subjected to filtration reached from 1000 to 2000 ml. After the process of filtration the filters were stored in a freezer. On return to the laboratory the samples were once again heated in the oven at 60 C for 24 hours, left for 4 hours at room temperature and then reweighed to get the dry temperature weight.
Strickland J. D. H., Parsons T. R., 1968, A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Pigment analysis, Bull. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada, 167