Request for Support to Equip a Center for Image and Motion Analysis at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX

德克萨斯大学海洋科学研究所自1946年以来一直由常驻研究人员使用，是德克萨斯州墨西哥湾沿岸最古老的海洋实验室。该研究所拥有优良的设施，在过去的三年中，已聘请了八名新的研究人员。该项目将为目前该站缺乏的两种重要的多用户设备提供资金：一种图像分析系统和一种倒置的荧光显微镜。研究海洋细菌、浮游植物、浮游动物和浮游鱼类的科学家需要这些项目来帮助描述实地收集的样品，以估计生物量、生产力、营养关系和物种多样性。计算机增强的视频图像对传统的样本枚举和表征提供了若干改进，具有更高的准确性和更快的处理速度。图像分析结合荧光显微镜和适当的染色或标记探针可以快速表征海洋微生物的大小、营养水平、分类和生理特征。该研究所将把这些设备安置在一个新成立的图像和运动分析中心。该中心将为来访调查员和常驻人员提供一个独特的机会，使用图像分析来表征和分析保存的样品或制备的载玻片，或使用运动分析来研究生物体的行为。

The Marine Science Institute of the University of Texas, with continuous use by resident research staff since 1946, is the oldest marine laboratory on the Texas Gulf Coast. The Institute has excellent facilities, and eight new research staff have been hired in the past three years. This project will provide funds for two essential pieces of multi-user equipment currently lacking at the site: an image analysis sytem and an inverted epifluorescence microscope. These items are needed by scientists studying marine bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and ichthyoplankton to help characterize field-collected samples to estimate biomass, productivity, trophic relationships and species diversity. Computer enhanced video images provide several improvements to traditional enumeration and characterization of samples, with the added advantages of greater accuracy and faster processing. Image analysis in combination with fluorescence microscopy and appropriate stains or labelled probes can be used to rapidly characterize size, trophic level, taxonomy and physiology of marine microbes. The Institute will house the equipment in a newly created center for image and motion analysis. The center will provide a unique opportunity for both visiting investigators and resident staff to characterize and analyze preserved samples or prepared slides using image analysis, or to study the behavior of living organisms using motion analysis.