Ecological Research Laboratory Services and Equipment

Contact:  Sherri Pucherelli (spucherelli@usbr.gov, 303-445-2015)

The Ecological Research Laboratory provides expertise needed to detect invasive and endangered species in habitats associated with water resources management projects.  Other expertise includes terrestrial and aquatic habitat and endangered species monitoring at construction and revegetation sites, development and implementation of integrated pest management plans, taxonomic and molecular identification of environmental samples, and bacteria community identification.   Disciplines include chemistry, molecular biology, botany, entomology, water quality, engineering, limnology and ecology.  Detection methods utilized in the laboratory include microscopy, spectrophotometry, polymerase chain reaction, gene sequencing, genetic barcoding and FlowCAM imaging technologies.

Specific services and equipment include:

 

Microscopy Equipment:

  • Light and cross-polarized
  • Dissecting
  • Stereo
  • Inverted
  • Phase contrast
  • Darkfield
  • Petrographic
  • Fluorescing
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Digital photographic equipment
  • FlowCam for zooplankton and other microscopic image analysis
microscopy equipment

Other specialized equipment

  • Spectrophotometer
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel analysis

PCR analysis image

Specialized field sampling equipment

  • Water quality sampling
  • Zooplankton sampling
  • Soil, macroinvertebrates, and bacteria
Field sampling
Integrated Pest Management expertise
  • Taxonomic identification of vegetation for IPM plans and vegetation control
  • Revegetation and restoration capabilities
 Vegetation survey
Last Updated: 7/13/22