Biological community samples (fish, invertebrates, algae) are collected
in streams and rivers as part of ecological studies in
the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.
Information from these ecological studies, together with chemical and physical
data, provide an integrated assessment of water quality at local, regional, and
national scales. During the program's first decade of operation (1991 - 2001),
ecological studies were conducted to assess the occurrence and distribution of
algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in about 59 study units (Gilliom and
others, 1995). In the second decade of the program (2001 - 2011),
biological community samples will be collected at selected sites to provide long-term trends
monitoring. Ecological studies are also part of nationally guided studies
addressing selected water-quality issues such as the effects of watershed
urbanization on nutrient enrichment and stream ecosystems.
How to Retrieve Biological Community Data
To retrieve data:
- Select the type of data retrieval that you want to run (data retrieval
option) from the list at the top of the page.
- Specify the search criteria (helpful
hints)
- Run the retrieval query
Please note: If you decide to run the query again the same search
criteria will be selected unless you change them.
Types of Data Retrievals
There are three types of data retrievals for biological community samples. Each is
described in greater detail below.
- Sample Count - returns the number of samples of each selected type collected at each station and sampling reach that is located within the geographic area specified by the sample selection criteria.
- Taxonomic List - returns a list of the taxa (usually at the species level) that were present in samples collected within the geographic area specified by the sample selection criteria. Taxonomic lists for fish, invertebrate, and algae community samples must be retrieved separately.
- Sample Abundance - returns the number of individuals of each taxon for each sample that was collected within the geographic area specified by sample selection criteria. Sample abundance data for fish, invertebrate, algal periphyton and phytoplankton community samples must be retrieved separately.