Final Completion of a Water-Tunnel Respirometer for the Study of Pelagic Marine Fishes

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Funds are requested to make final improvements and design changes needed to establish the SIO water-tunnel respirometer, the "elasmotunatron," as a highly functional national facility. This facility, built almost entirely from funds provided by NSF DMB 85-00261, is the largest recirculating water tunnel ever constructed for biological studies, and has been designed in such a manner to allow its use at sea for research on open-water pelagic fishes such as tunas, jacks, and certain sharks that cannot be kept in healthy condition in laboratory aquaria. The instrument is now fully functional; however, our work with it has revealed design and performance limitations that can be rectified to permit superior performance. Funds required to complete modification of the basic structure and operational features are requested.