Digital camera and software for image analysis

在我的实验室中有三个主要项目需要使用图像分析系统来测量幼鱼和鱼鳞的形态和分生特征。在圣劳伦斯河口，两个同域人群的彩虹胡瓜是形态上不同的，尽管高水平的基因流。我的发现补助金的一个主要目标是测试的假设，觅食在特定的河口栖息地的早期发展产生的选择力，导致独立的表型轨迹的两个胡瓜种群。我们的目标是记录特定形态特征的发展，并将其与不同环境条件下形态特异性死亡率的估计相关联。第二个项目的目的是估计替代男性生殖策略及其相关的形态在大西洋鲑鱼的遗传力。具体而言，我们的目标是测试的假设，遗传特性的快速电流（因此增加的增长率）有利于觅食效率的提高运动鞋男性的后代中的早熟发展。在这两个项目中，需要高分辨率的数字图像和图像分析软件来精确测量小型幼鱼的形态特征。最后，我们每年阅读和测量数百名青少年和成年鲑鱼从两个参考河流在魁北克的规模，以跟踪之间的关系大小选择性海洋死亡率，在海上的环境变化，和总的海洋死亡率。同样，高分辨率的数码照片和图像分析软件在测量尺度微观结构中至关重要。我们要求资金购买奥林巴斯DP 20 2MP，相关软件和光源。相机不需要计算机来获取图像，只需显示器。图像存储在1GB闪存中，并下载到独立的计算机上，稍后使用Image Pro Express（V6）软件进行处理。该设备将取代一个不再运作的旧的模拟系统。

Three major projects in my laboratory require the use of an image analysis system to measure the morphometric and meristic characteristics of juvenile fishes and fish scales. In the St. Lawrence estuary, two sympatric populations of rainbow smelt are morphologically distinct in spite of high levels of gene flow. A major objective of my Discovery grant is to test the hypothesis that foraging during early development in specific estuarine habitats generates the selective forces leading to independent phenotypic trajectories of the two smelt populations. We aim to document the development of specific morphological traits and relate these to estimates of morphometric-specific mortality rates in different environmental settings. A second project aims to estimate the heritability of alternative male reproductive tactics and their associated morphologies in Atlantic salmon. Specifically, we aim to test the hypothesis that heritability of traits contributing to increased foraging efficiency in rapid currents (and hence increased growth rates) favours the development of early maturity among the progeny of sneaker males. In both projects, high-resolution digital images and image analysis software are required to accurately measure the morphological traits of small juvenile fishes. Finally, we annually read and measure the scales of hundreds of juvenile and adult salmon from two reference rivers in Quebec to track the relationship among size-selective marine mortality, environmental variation at sea, and total marine mortality rates. Once again, high-resolution digital photographs and image analysis software are essential in measuring scale microstructure. We request funds to purchase an Olympus DP 20 2MP, associated software and light source. The camera does not require a computer to acquire images, only a monitor. Images are stored on a 1GB flash memory and downloaded on an independent computer and processed using the Image Pro Express (V6) software at a later date. This equipment will replace an old, analog-based system that is no longer functional.