Immunology provides powerful methods to approach diverse research questions in biological and environmental sciences. Taking advantage of the endless variety of antibody molecules which the mammalian immune system can produce, immunoassays can be developed for almost any molecule. Antigen-antibody reactions can he visualized in many different ways, offering uniquely sensitive and specific assays. Whether used to identify morphologically indistinct larval forms or to quantify enzymes inside whole cells, immunological methods have wide applicability and versatility, currently unrealized in biological oceanography and marine ecology.

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