Maintaining Data Quality in the Performance of a Large Scale Integrated Monitoring Effort

John M. Macauley and Linda C. Harwell

US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NHEERL, Gulf Ecology Division,
1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, Fl. 32561

In the conduct of monitoring the condition of aquatic resources, scope and scale enter into all aspects of the data collection. Larger, integrated monitoring programs present complex issues regarding maintenance and documentation of data quality. In generating the second "National Coastal Condition Report", the National Coastal Assessment (NCA) program needed to ensure that all data met the necessary quality requirements. Generation of a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) addressed data quality issues prior to any data collection. Ideally, this document controls all aspects of data collection, regardless of scale. The more geographically and culturally diverse the area and the participants, however, the more difficult it is to maintain standards for data quality. This presentation will show how NCA strived to maintain data quality throughout the integrated assessment. All aspects of NCA's approach to maintaining data quality will be addressed, including, training, documentation, and audits, as well as calculating how well the program met the required data quality objectives.

Keywords: Quality Assurance, Data Quality, Integrated Monitoring, National Coastal Assessment