CATALOG DOCUMENTATION
EMAP-GREAT LAKES PROGRAM LEVEL DATABASE
1994 LAKE MICHIGAN NEARSHORE
STATION LOCATION DATA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.	DATA SET IDENTIFICATION

2.	INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION

3.	DATA SET ABSTRACT

4.	OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION

5.	DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS

6.	DATA MANIPULATIONS

7.	DATA DESCRIPTION

8.	GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION

9.	QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE

10.	DATA ACCESS

11.	REFERENCES

12.	TABLE OF ACRONYMS

13.	PERSONNEL INFORMATION

1. DATA SET IDENTIFICATION

1.1	Title of Catalog document

EMAP-Great Lakes Program Level Database
1994 Lake Michigan Nearshore
Station Location Data

1.2	Authors of the Catalog entry
Jenny Kysely, ILS

1.3	Catalog revision date
28 July 1998

1.4	Data set name
LMSTA94

1.5	Task Group
Great Lakes

1.6	Data set identification code
500


-------
1.7 Version

001

1.8 Requested Acknowledgment

These data were produced as part of the U.S. EPA's Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). If you plan to publish these
data in any way, EPA requires a standard statement for work it has
supported:

"Although the data described in this article has been funded wholly or in
part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its EMAP-Great
Lakes Program, it has not been subjected to Agency review, and therefore
does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official
endorsement should be inferred."

2.	INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION

2.1	Principal Investigator
Tom Nalepa

Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
NOAA

Ann Arbor, Michigan

2.2	Investigation Participant - Sample Collection
Tom Nalepa

Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
NOAA

Ann Arbor, Michigan

3.	DATA SET ABSTRACT

3.1	Abstract of the Data Set

The EMAP-Great Lakes STATIONS data set contains geographic information on
stations in the nearshore resource class of Lake Michigan. These
stations were randomly located, based on a nationwide grid. The
geographic coordinates of a site are given in latitude and longitude.

3.2	Keywords for the Data Set

Sampling stations, geographic, nearshore, Lake Michigan, latitude,
longi tude

4.	OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION

4.1	Program Objective

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) was designed
to periodically estimate the status and trends of the Nation's ecological
resources on a regional basis. EMAP provides a strategy to identify and
bound the extent, magnitude and location of environmental degradation and
improvement on a regional scale based on station sites randomly located
in the Great Lakes. Three-fold enhanced sampling sites from nearshore
Lake Michigan are included in this data set.

4.2	Data Set Objective

The STATIONS data set provides geographical characterization of
three-fold enhancement sampling sites from the nearshore region of Lake
Mi chigan.


-------
4.3 Background Discussion

A probability-based sampling design has been used in the EMAP-Great Lakes
region so that the Great Lakes resources and characteristics were sampled
in proportion to their areal distribution. This sampling design makes it
possible to estimate, with known confidence, the proportion or amount of
area having defined environmental characteristics. A series of
indicators that were representative of the overall health of freshwater
resources were measured at each site. These indicators were designed to
address three major attributes of concern to freshwater scientists,
environmental managers, and the public: 1) biotic integrity or the
existence of healthy, diverse, and sustainable communities; 2) pollutant
exposure or the condition of the physico-chemical environment in which
biota live and 3) societal values or indicators related to public use of
freshwater resources.

4.4 Summary of Data Set Parameters

STATIONS data set values were based on the geographic location of the
station, independent of the station visit.

5. DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS
5.1 Data Acqui si ti on

5.1.1	Sampling Objective

The primary goal was to be within the assigned latitude and longitude of
a sampling site. This objective was set forth so the sample would be
collected as true to the exact location selected during the random
selection process.

5.1.2	Sample Collection Methods Summary

The primary resource classes for the Great Lakes include the offshore,
nearshore, harbor and embayment areas, and coastal wetlands. The
definition of the offshore and nearshore zones is the boundary between
offshore and nearshore areas is the depth contour equal to the mean
depth of the lake. The nearshore resource class was sampled for this
study, and the nearshore resource class consists of water adjacent to
the shoreline and no more than 85 meters in depth, and the offshore is
the remaining portion of the lake.

The EMAP sampling strategy uses a global grid to identify sampling
sites. This grid is divided into sub-grids in accordance with the needs
of the ecosystem type. The baseline grid used in EMAP is an hexagonal
plate containing a triangular grid approximately 12,600 grid points
distributed randomly over the conterminous United States. These grid
points are about 27 km equidistant and large, contiguous hexagons can be
scribed around each grid point, each with an area of 635 sq. km. Initial
randomization of the grid on the United States establishes the
systematic sample (i.e., uniform and regular grid point and small
hexagons) as a probability sample. The grid structure reflects the
importance of achieving geographic coverage of ecological resources.
The uniformity of spatial coverage provided by a grid ensures that each
ecological resource can be sampled in proportion to its geographic
presence in the United States and that all ecological resources can be
included in the monitoring program.

The grid density also can be increased to sample rare resources, or
resource classes (e.g., offshore, nearshore, harbors and embayments, and
wetlands for the Great Lakes ecological resource). The grid arrangement
also makes it easy to either increase or decrease the grid density by
multiple factors of three-, four-, and sevenfold and retain the basic


-------
triangular structure important for consistent spatial coverage and
sampling design requirements. The triangular nature of the grid allows
greater flexibility in these enhancement factors than a square or
rectangular grid.

As the frame of the nearshore resource class for Lake Michigan,
bathymetric maps from NOAA have been digitized on a 2 km grid and are
available in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format.

A three-fold enhancement was used to characterize the condition of the
nearshore resource class of Lake Michigan, and for determining the
number and spatial extent of the sample sites in this zone. The
nearshore zone consists of water contiguous to the shoreline and no more
than 85 meters in depth. Thirty-nine sites were sampled in 1994.

5.1.3	Beginning Sampling Date
18 July, 1994

5.1.4	Ending Sampling Date
5 August, 1994

5.1.5	Platform

Sampling was conducted from the R/V Shanahan.

5.1.6	Sampling Equipment

The sampling equipment used was a Magellan Nav 5200 DX.

5.1.7	Manufacturer of Instrument

Magellan Systems Corporation, 9600 Overland Ct., San Dimas, CA.

5.1.8	Key Variables

The latitude and longitude of the station location were determined at the
time of sampling.

5.1.9	Collection Method Calibration
NA

5.1.10	Collection Quality Control
NA

5.1.11	Sample Collection Method Reference

Strobel, C.J. and S.C. Schimmel, 1991. Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program-Near Coastal. 1991 Virginian Province, Field
Operations and Safety Manual. U.S. EPA, NHEERL-AED, Narragansett, RI.

June 1991.

5.2 Data Processing and Sample Processing
5.2.1 Sample Processing Objective

Sample processing methods not applicable for station location
information.


-------
5.2.2	Sample Processing Methods Summary
Not applicable.

5.2.3	Sample Processing Method Calibration
Not applicable.

5.2.4	Sample Processing Quality Control
Not applicable.

5.2.5	Sample Processing Method Reference

5.2.6	Sample Processing Method Deviations

6.	DATA ANALYSIS AND MANIPULATIONS

Most values in the Stations data set were assigned, based on geographic
locati on.

6.1	Name of New or Modified Values
None

6.2	Data Manipulation Description
None

6.3	Data Manipulation Examples
Not applicable.

7.	DATA DESCRIPTION

7.1 Description of Parameters

#

Name

Type

Length

Format

Parameter Label

1

STA NAME

Char

10

10.

Station Name

2

DEPTH

Num

2

2.

Station Depth (m)

3

LAT STD

Num

9

2.6

Latitude (decimal degrees)

4

LNG STD

Num

9

2.6

Longitude (-decimal degrees)

7.1.1	Precision to which values are reported
Latitude and longitude were measured in decimal degrees.

7.1.2	Minimum Value in Data Set
Not applicable.

7.1.3	Maximum Value in Data Set
Not applicable.

7.2 Data Record Example

7.2.1 Column Names for Example Records
STA NAME DEPTH LAT STD	LNG STD


-------
7.2.2 Example Data Records

LM94-73452	17	45.835	-86.246333

LM94-73492	17	41.8995	-86.649333

8.	GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION

8.1	Minimum Longitude
-87.922667

8.2	Maximum Longitude
-85.025

8.3. Minimum Latitude
40.666667

8.4	Maximum Latitude
46.000667

8.5	Name of Area or Region
Nearshore Lake Michigan

Stations were located within the Nearshore resource class of Lake
Michigan. The nearshore sites were located within the 85 meter depth
contour.

9.	QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE
9.1 Measurement Quality Objectives

Not applicable.

9.2. Data Quality Assurance Procedures
NA

9.3	Actual Measurement Quality
Not applicable.

10.	DATA ACCESS

10.1	Data Access Procedures

Data can be downloaded from the EMAP Website.

10.2	Data Access Restrictions
Not applicable.

10.3	Data Access Contact Persons

Stephen J. Lozano
U.S. E.P.A. NHEERL-MED
(218)529-5205
(218)529-5003 (FAX)
lozano.stephen@epa.gov


-------
10.4 Data Set Format

Data from the Website are in ASCII fixed format.

10.5	Information Concerning Anonymous FTP
Not accessible.

10.6	Information Concerning WWW

Data can be downloaded from the EMAP Website.

10.7	EMAP CD-ROM Containing the Data Set
Data are not available on CD-ROM.

11.	REFERENCES

Hedtke, S., A. Pilli, D. Dolan, G. McRae, B. Goodno, R. Kreis, G. Warren,
D. Swackhamer, and M. Henry. 1992. Great Lakes Monitoring and Research
Strategy: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. USEPA, Office
Research and Development, ERL-Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota. EPA/602/R-92/001
204 p.

12.	TABLE OF ACRONYMS
NA

13.	PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Stephen J. Lozano
U.S. E.P.A. NHEERL-MED
6201 Congdon Blvd.

Duluth, MN 55804
(218)529-5205
(218)529-5003 (FAX)
lozano.stephen@epa.gov


-------