ISMER palynology laboratory
- 2 transmitted light research microscopes NIKON Eclipse 80i equipped with digital cameras and Nomarski contrast (DIC)
- Inverted microscope NIKON Eclipse TE-2000-U equipped with a digital camera
- Research transmitted light/fluorescence microscope Leica DM-5500B equipped with a digital camera, phase contrast and Nomarski contrast (DIC)
- Binocular microscope Leica M-165C
- Standard and microwave palynological preparations
- Palynological analyses (pollen, spores, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs)
- Phytoplankton analyses (dinoflagellates)
- Foraminifera analyses
- Phytoplankton culturing
Standard palynological preparations involve:
- Wet sieving of 5 cm3 of sediment with addition of Lycopodium tablet of known concentration
- Repeated hot hydrochloric (10%, 4x) and hydrofluoric (49%, 3x) to remove carbonate and silicate material
- Centrifugation with distilled water between each acid treatment
- Mounting of residue in glycerine jelly
- Preservation of residue in distilled water with addition of phenol
- Measure of water content of sediment