Research Vessel for Flathead Lake Biological Station

弗拉黑德湖生物站（FLBS）成立于1896年，用于科学领域的研究和教育。FLBS位于美国西部（阿拉斯加以外）最大的淡水湖上，有一个全年的研究项目，重点是湖泊学和河流生态学。一个国家的最先进的淡水研究实验室提供了仪器基础的各种水生研究计划在西北蒙大拿州的大部分原始环境。对平头湖的研究已经建立了一个十年的数据库，它完全是计算机化的。最近在模拟建模方面的努力帮助确定了FLBS未来五年的优先研究课题，包括磷循环中悬浮沉积物/微生物关系的研究、加速养分负荷的生态系统水平效应、河流和湖泊水平调节对初级生产力的影响。以及最近引进的一种外来节肢动物引起的湖泊营养关系的变化。这些研究需要购置一艘相当大且设备齐全的研究船。目前，科考站可用的最大船只是一艘16英尺长的考察船，出于安全考虑，只能在无风天气时使用。该项目将为购买一艘26英尺的柴油动力研究船和船上设备提供资金。这些资金将由蒙大拿大学提供4.5万美元的新设备。

The Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) was established in 1896 for research and education in the field sciences. Located on the largest freshwater lake in the western United States (outside of Alaska), FLBS has a year-round research program emphasizing limnology and stream ecology. A state-of- the-art freshwater research laboratory provides the instrumental basis for a varied aquatic research program in the largely pristine environments of northwestern Montana. Research on Flathead Lake has led to a ten-year data base that is fully computerized. Recent efforts in simulation modeling have helped identify priority research topics at FLBS for the next five years, including investigations of suspended sediment/microbial relationships in phosphorus cycling, ecosystem-level effects of accelerated nutrient loading, effects of stream- and lake-level regulation on primary productivity, and changes in lake trophic relationships caused by the recent introduction of an exotic arthropod into the lake. These studies require acquisition of a reasonably large and fully instrumented research vessel. The largest vessel currently available at the station is a 16-foot research boat which, due to safety considerations, can only be used during calm weather. This project will provide funds for the purchase of a 26 ft, diesel-powered research vessel and for shipboard equipment. These funds will be matched by $45,000 in new equipment by the University of Montana.