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，驻地研究人员一直在使用 德克萨斯州墨西哥湾沿岸最古老的海洋实验室 研究所 拥有一流的设施，8名新的研究人员已经 在过去三年中， 该项目将为以下两个基本部分提供资金： 现场目前缺乏的多用户设备：图像 分析系统和倒置荧光显微镜。 这些 研究海洋细菌的科学家需要这些物品， 浮游植物，浮游动物和浮游鱼类 表征现场采集的样本以估计生物量， 生产力、营养关系和物种多样性。 计算机增强的视频图像提供了若干改进， 传统的样本计数和表征， 增加了更高的精度和更快的处理的优点。 图像分析结合荧光显微镜和 可以使用适当的染色剂或标记的探针 描述大小，营养级，分类和生理 海洋微生物 研究所将把设备放在一个新创建的 图像和运动分析中心。 该中心将提供 为来访的研究人员和居民提供了独特的机会 工作人员来表征和分析保存的样品或制备的 幻灯片使用图像分析，或研究生活的行为， 使用运动分析的生物。

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.