One of the critical factors for a successful seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) process is the pre-treatment of the feed so that a stable, high-quality feed is supplied to the reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Membrane filtration has been accepted as the preferred pre-treatment method in RO processes in recent years. In this paper, a pilot study of a pre-treatment process using a ceramic membrane for the desalination of seawater from Tianjin Bohai Bay, in the Bohai Sea of China, is presented. Different coagulation methods were compared, and the flocculation-natural sedimentation operation was determined to be the optimal method for ceramic membrane filtration. The ceramic membrane was found to work adequately in a long-term run, even under low-temperature conditions (3-6 degrees C). Based on the permeate qualities, such as turbidity, SDI15(Silt Density Index) value, and concentration of Fe, it was concluded that this ceramic membrane technology can be successfully used in SWRO processes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.