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

该奖项支持收购一台能够运行大量分析物的自动分析仪和一台显微镜工作站，该工作站将汇集三台研究级显微镜和一个与多台显微镜兼容和可互换的图像分析系统。这些仪器将被安置在纽约州立大学奥内昂塔分校的生物野外站（BFS），并将成为众多研究项目的组成部分，这些研究项目通常面向内陆湖泊的环境、生态和长期监测项目。这些仪器将收集基本数据，作为BFS对内陆湖泊（Otsego湖和附近池塘；纽约州Otsego县）长期监测的一部分。生物、化学、地球科学和中等科学教育学院开展研究项目，重点研究入侵物种生态学，特别是斑马贻贝从湖泊到溪流的扩散；湖泊近岸生境的珍稀动物群落；奥特塞戈湖由淡水原生动物（尤其是Gymnamoebae）、细菌和微后生动物组成的微观食物网；与重金属和其他环境污染物有关的手状口部畸形；地下水动力学将受益于这些仪器的使用。这些仪器将允许扩大监测工作，包括通过小型实验操作和整个生态系统（例如，整个湖泊）操作来测试生态理论。这些项目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，为社区服务。此外，BFS在培养学生（即将进入大学的高中生、本科生和研究生）生态和环境研究方面有很强的传统。此次收购将为许多本科生实习生、进行和展示新颖环境研究所需的生物教育专业学生以及进行独立和定向研究项目的研究生提供现代化的研究仪器。

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.