Natural History Specimen Collections

The Fish Collection described in this document was transferred in 1992 to the Fish Collection of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin (at that time administratively in the Texas Memorial Museum, but at the time of publication of this digital version of the document it is one (https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/collections/ichthyology) of the Biodiversity Collections in the University's Biodiversity Center (https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/). Thus, the data on the specimens in the Fish Collection described here are now included in the data published to GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/dataset/6080b6cc-1c24-41ff-ad7f-0ebe7b56f311) and other global biodiversity data aggregators by the UT Biodiversity Center's Fish Collection. The same data are also included in the Fishes of Texas Project (http://fishesoftexas.org - Hendrickson, Dean A., and Adam E. Cohen. 2015. “Fishes of Texas Project Database (Version 2.0)” doi:10.17603/C3WC70). Some of the UTMSI Fish Collection specimens remained at the UT Marine Science Insitute on long-term loan from 1992 until sometime in 2017 when the MSI disposed of all remaining specimens (including also Invertebrates). Some were disposed of by a professional HazMat company, but many were apparently taken to the Smithsonian Institution's (USNM) division of Invertebrate Biology. The fate of fish specimens, however, remains unresolved, but the Ichthyology Division at USNM had no knowledge of them at the time this report was archived here. Dean A. Hendrickson, Curator of Ichthyology, UT Austin, May 1, 2019The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas Marine Laboratory, Natural History Collection of Marine Organisms was initiated in the mid-1940's. Since that time specimens have been added from studies in the Gulf of Mexico, associated estuaries, and marine-influenced terrestrial habitats, with emphasis on the Texas and Mexico coasts. These studies were the baseline surveys for this area and have resulted in the collection of valuable marine organisms. The collection now holds approximately 5,000 catalogued specimens including all forms of biota, vertebrates, invertebrates, algae and flowering plants. The collection includes the marine fish and invertebrate specimens of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, incorporated into the UTMSI-PAML collection in 1976. This state collection, numbering 3,000, is composed primarily of Texas Gulf coast species of fish and invertebrates, representing baseline surveys conducted by the state fisheries biologists. With this collection are card catalogues by specimen number and phylogenetic order. Other collections incorporated are those from R/V Oregon cruises (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, exploratory fishing vessel), H. H. Hildebrand's faunal surveys of the brown and pink shrimp grounds , Whitten et al.'s faunal survey of Texas coast jetties , J. W. Hedgepeth’s specimens collected during numerous faunal surveys, tide trap studies, and vegetation and algal surveys. Noteworthy studies from which specimens have been added to the collection are listed in Table 1. The museum collection is housed in an air-conditioned building in a room specifically designed for this collection. The present facility contains 924 square feet with 1089 square feet of shelf space, which can be trebled to accommodate BLM collections. There are at present 32 1' x 12' shelves, totaling 384 square feet; 194 18" x 12-1/2" shelves, totaling 303 square feet; and 120 11-1/2" x 42" shelves, totaling 402 5 square feet. The collection is a working museum open to the scientific community; specimens are available on loan to members of this community. Specimens may be used by visiting researchers, graduate-level students, professors, and classes. Attached is an invoice form, "Invoice of Specimens" - a standard form used for loan of collection items. The Port Aransas Marine Laboratory is committed to the continuing curation of specimens and will continue to provide the supplies necessary to maintain the natural history specimen collections. The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas Marine Laboratory is willing to incorporate the Bureau of Land Management collection into its collection. Funding is requested from BLM to obtain and incorporate all archived BLM specimens from the S.T.O.C.S. survey into the collection.Integrative Biolog

Apparatus for determining thermophysical properties of test specimens

Apparatus is described for directly measuring the quantity square root of pck of a test specimen such as a wind tunnel model where p is density, c is the specific heat and k is the thermal conductivity of the specimen. The test specimen and a reference specimen are simultaneously subjected to the heat from a heat source. A thermocouple is attached to the reference specimen for producing a first electrical analog signal proportional to the heat rate Q that the test specimen is subjected to and an infrared radiometer that is aimed at the test specimen produces a second electrical analog signal proportional to the surface temperature T of the test specimen. An analog-to-digital converter converts the first and second electrical analog signals to digital signals. These digital signals are applied to a computer for determining the quantity

Fatigue testing device

Anti-buckling assembly prevents buckling of sheet metal fatigue specimen when axial compressive load is applied. It provides for cyclic heating and cooling of specimen during testing. Assembly permits tests at two locations on specimen. Device has ports for visual, optical, or photographic monitoring of fatigue crack propagation in test specimen

Method of radiographic inspection of wooden members

The invention is a method to be used for radiographic inspection of a wooden specimen for internal defects which includes the steps of introducing a radiopaque penetrant into any internal defects in the specimen through surface openings; passing a beam of radiation through a portion of the specimen to be inspected; and making a radiographic film image of the radiation passing through the specimen, with the radiopaque penetrant in the specimen absorbing the radiation passing through it, thereby enhancing the resulting image of the internal defects in the specimen

Characterisation of dynamic behaviour of alumina ceramics: evaluation of stress uniformity

Accurate characterisation of dynamic behaviour of ceramics requires the reliable split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique and the condition of uniaxial homogeneous specimen deformation. In this study, an experimentally validated 3D finite element model of the full scale SHPB experiment was developed to quantitatively evaluate the wave propagation in the bars and the stress distribution/evolution in the alumina specimen. Wave signals in both the SHPB experiments and the finite element model were analysed to characterise the dynamic behaviour of alumina. It was found that the equilibrium of both stresses within the specimen and forces at the specimen ends can be established in the intermediate stage of deformation. The validity of stress uniformity in the alumina specimen supports the assumption of uniaxial homogeneous specimen deformation in the SHPB and validates the characterisation of dynamic behaviour of alumina ceramics

Apparatus ad method for quiescent containerless processing of high temperature metals and alloys in low gravity

The electron bombardment furnace consists of two confinement grid sections which may be moved and separated from each other. Inside the bombardment furnace, a tungsten element is enclosed. The material specimen is located within the tungsten element and grounded by means of grounded support wires connected to the respective sections of the furnace. The material specimen is supported on the ground wires and heated by electron bombardment until melt occurs. The furnace sections are separated in opposite directions causing the ground wires to pull from the surfaces of the specimen, leaving the specimen freely suspended in the process chamber without the action of external forces. The specimen remains in its melt condition in the processing chamber where it can be undercooled without external forces acting on the specimen, which would cause dynamic nucleation

Method and apparatus for supercooling and solidifying substances

An enclosure provides a containerless environment in which a sample specimen is positioned. The specimen is heated in the containerless environment, and the specimen melt is dropped through the tube in which it cools by radiation. The tube is alternatively backfilled with an inert gas whereby the specimen melt cools by both radiation and convection during its free fall. During the free fall, the sample is in a containerless, low-gravity environment which enhances supercooling in the sample and prevents sedimentation and thermal convection influences. The sample continues to supercool until nucleation occurs which is detected by silicon photovoltaic detectors. The sample solidifies after nucleation and becomes completely solid before entering the detachable catcher. The amount of supercooling of the specimen can be measured by knowing the cooling ratio and determining the time for nucleation to occur

Fatigue failure load indicator

An indicator for recording the load at which a fatigue specimen breaks during the last cycle of a fatigue test is described. A load cell is attached to the specimen which is alternately subjected to tension and compression loads. The output of the load cell which is proportional to the load on the specimen is applied to the input of a peak detector. Each time the specimen is subjected to a compression load, means are provided for applying a positive voltage to the rest of the peak detector to reset it. During the last cycle of the tension load the peak detector measures the maximum load on the specimen. Means are provided for disconnecting the load cell from the peak detector when there is a failure in the specimen