Acquisition of Laboratory Equipment for Long-term Water Quality and Watershed Management Projects

该奖项支持购置一台能够运行多种分析物的自动分析仪和一台显微镜工作站，该工作站将把三台研究级显微镜和一个与多台显微镜兼容并可互换的图像分析系统整合在一起。这些仪器将被安置在纽约州立大学奥尼奥塔的生物野外站(BFS)，并将成为众多研究项目的组成部分，这些项目一般面向内陆湖泊的环境、生态和长期监测计划。这些仪器将允许收集基本数据，作为BFS对内陆湖泊(奥塞戈湖和附近池塘；纽约州奥塞戈县)长期监测的一部分。生物、化学、地球科学和中学科学教育系开展的研究项目侧重于入侵物种生态，特别是斑马贻贝从湖泊到溪流的扩散；湖泊近岸生境的小型动物群落；奥塞戈湖由淡水原生动物(特别是金枪鱼)、细菌和后生动物组成的微型食物网；与重金属和其他环境污染物有关的摇蚊口部畸形；以及地下水动态将受益于使用仪器。这些仪器将允许扩大监测工作，包括用小型实验操作和全生态系统(例如，全湖)操作来测试生态学理论。这些项目服务于社区，利用生态学理论控制养殖富营养化，监测水质，评估环境污染物，并可能防止水生有害物种的传播。此外，BFS在培训学生(准备上大学的高中生、本科生和研究生)生态和环境研究方面有着深厚的传统。此次收购将为许多本科生实习生、生物教育专业的学生提供现代研究工具，这些学生需要进行和展示新颖的环境研究，以及研究生进行独立和有指导的研究项目。

This award supports the acquisition of an auto analyzer capable of running numerous analytes and a microscope workstation that would bring together three research-grade microscopes and an image analysis system compatible and interchangeable with more than one microscope. The instruments will be housed at SUNY Oneonta's Biological Field Station (BFS) and will be an integral part of numerous research projects, generally oriented towards environmental, ecological, and long-term monitoring programs in inland lakes. The instruments will allow essential data to be collected as part of the BFS's long-term monitoring on inland lakes (Otsego Lake and nearby ponds; Otsego County, NY). Biology, chemistry, earth sciences and secondary science education faculty conducting research projects focusing on invasive species ecology, particularly dispersal of zebra mussels from lakes to streams; meiofauna communities in nearshore habitats of lakes; microscopic food webs consisting of freshwater protozoans (particularly Gymnamoebae), bacteria, and micrometazoans in Otsego Lake; chironomid mouth-part deformities related to heavy metals and other environmental pollutants; and subsurface water dynamics will benefit from access to the instruments. The instruments will allow expansion of monitoring efforts to include testing ecological theories with small experimental manipulations and whole-ecosystem (e.g., whole-lake) manipulations. These projects serve the community by using ecological theory to control cultural eutrophication, monitor water quality, assess environmental pollutants, and possibly prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species. Additionally, the BFS has a strong tradition in training students (college-bound high school, undergraduate, and graduate students) in ecological and environmental studies. The purchase will provide access to modern research instrumentation to many undergraduate interns, biology education majors required to conduct and present novel environmental research, and graduate students as they conduct independent and directed research projects.