DIRECTIONS TO THE LABORATORY

The Center's Seattle headquarters is located at Sand Point on the shores of Lake Washington, from which the lab draws water for its fish holding and experimental facility. This laboratory, completed in 1994 at a cost of $10 million dollars, replaced a World War II-era U. S. Navy building in which the WFRC had conducted fishery research for nearly three decades. The new laboratory provides Center scientists with a world-class resource unique in the BRD, if not in the U. S. research community. Unique elements include:

• Disease containment laboratory for fish pathology investigations (biosafety level III). This specialized facility was designed for research on exotic fish pathogens which could be dangerous to native fishes if released to the environment. The lab has specialized water and air handling equipment, negative air pressure, airlock entry, and high security access.

• Artificial streams. Six replicate tanks 12 m by 1.2 m continuously flow with Lake Washington water. The streams can be set up with natural substrate, riffle/run/pool structure, hydrology, and even invertebrate colonization. Center scientists use the facility for behavioral studies, for example hatchery vs. wild-reared competition and predator-prey interactions.

• Molecular and microbiology capability. Numerous specific disciplines are represented, including viral, bacteriological, and parasite research, molecular genetics, histopathology, and immunology. The research support capability includes: automated DNA sequencing, DNA and protein synthesis, cloning and electrophoresis.

The Seattle Laboratory was designed to support FWS fishery research needs, and, after the USGS merger, still serves that bureau as its primary partner. The majority of space at the Seattle Laboratory is devoted to laboratory facilities for the following biological disciplines:

• Virology
• Bacteriology
• Immunology
• Histology
• Molecular biology/genetics Ecology

SPACE AND FUNCTION TABLE