X Marks the Spot Is Not Enough: Using Online Tools to Document Sites and Sample Design to Promote Collaboration

Making management decisions over a large spatial scale requires a comprehensive understanding of conditions. Given shrinking budgets, extensive spatial scale, complex life histories of anadromous fish, and the patchwork of land ownership in the Columbia River basin, a single monitoring project or program cannot tell the full story.  Designing monitoring with the intent to leverage other sampling efforts would create efficiencies and opportunities for data sharing.  The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) has facilitated the development of a suite of online tools to help users plan and describe their sample design.  Site Manager allows users to see the details of various master samples, view details of public sampling designs, manage details of their own designs, and add their own legacy sites and attributes.   Sample Designer utilizes the information stored in Site Manager to guide users through defining the target frame, stratifying, creating panels, adding attributes and legacy sites, and entering site evaluation information.  The tools are designed to promote sharing of designs, streamline analysis, and ultimately, lead to more cohesive monitoring data.  They also fully describe the design saving time during post implementation project documentation. The tools are publically available and can be applied outside the Pacific Northwest.