Fishes of Minnesota Observations Database
Go to Section:
1. Overview
2. Data Quality
3. Data Organization
4. Coordinate System
5. Attributes
6. Distribution - Get Data
7. Metadata Reference
| Section 1 | Overview | |||
| Originator | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) | |||
| Title | Fishes of Minnesota Observations Database | |||
| Abstract | The Fishes of Minnesota Observations database is a large Postgres database developed to support the online MNDNR Fishes of Minnesota Mapper application. The database contains records of fish species observations from lakes, streams and wetlands collected by a variety of sources over the time period 1808-2012. The majority of lake-related records come from the MNDNR Fisheries Lake Survey database, while the majority of stream-related records come from the MPCA Biological Monitoring Program. Other major sources include: USGS, USFWS and the Bell Museum. The true locations of fish species observations are represented in the database, with the following exceptions:
The point observations are available for download from the web application in .csv, shapefile and species list format. The shapefile is also available from the MN Geospatial Commons website (see Section 6: Distribution.) The Fishes of Minnesota database and web application are the result of a collaborative effort between MNDNR Ecological and Water Resources, MNDNR Fisheries, and MNDNR Management Resources divisions. | |||
| Purpose | To provide access to a comprehensive collection of Minnesota fish species observation data to researchers, agency staff, anglers and other interested parties. The online mapper allows users to query and map the data without need for GIS software or knowledge. (Note that the shapefile is also available for download by GIS users). Users of the online Fishes of MN Mapper can:
Important note: In general, the data is not suitable for comparing the abundance of fish species across waterbodies due to the different methods/efforts/gears used to collect the data. An exception are records collected by DNR Fisheries Lake Survey (see [Source] attribute), which may be compared to each other because standardized methods were used. However, users must understand that lakes of different types and in different regions inherently vary in the presence and abundance of certain species and must be compared to others of similar types/geographic regions in order to make true comparisons. It is best to contact a Fisheries professional when making interpretations about fish species distributions/abundances and specific waterbodies. | |||
| Time Period of Content Date | 12/31/2012 | |||
| Currentness Reference | There are records extending back to 1808, although these are few. DNR Fisheries Lake Survey data has been added from 1953 through 2012. MPCA stream data spans from 1966-2012. We plan to update the database annually with MNDNR and MPCA data from the current year's field surveys. Other data will be added as it becomes available. | |||
| Progress | In work | |||
| Maintenance and Update Frequency | Annually | |||
| Spatial Extent of Data | Minnesota, including some records of fish species in border waters (Iowa, Wisconsin, N/S Dakota, Canada) | |||
| Bounding Coordinates | -97.252252 -89.406737 49.340250 43.098198 | |||
| Place Keywords | Minnesota, upper Midwest, lake, stream, wetland | |||
| Theme Keywords | fish, species, distribution, range, catch, gear, sampling, survey | |||
| Theme Keyword Thesaurus | ISO 19115 Category | |||
| Access Constraints | None | |||
| Use Constraints | Comparisons of catch should generally not be made between records due to differences in sampling effort and gears used. An exception to this rule is that records from [SOURCE] = DNR Fisheries Lake Survey may be compared because standardized methods were used. (See Important Note under Purpose, Section 1, above). Note that absence of a fish species in a particular waterbody doesn't guarantee that it isn't present, only that it wasn't observed in the survey(s) performed. This may be due to many factors, including the type of gear used, time of day or year, purpose of the survey, species targeted, etc.) Conversely, presence of a fish species in a particular year doesn't guarantee that it is still present today. | |||
| Contact Person Information | Lyn Bergquist, GIS Data Contact Minnesota DNR - Fisheries Unit 500 Lafayette Rd Saint Paul, MN 55155 Phone: 651-259-5189 Email: [email protected] | |||
| Browse Graphic | ||||
| Associated Data Sets | DNR Fisheries Lake Survey - Fish Species Presence | |||
| Section 2 | Data Quality | |||
| Attribute Accuracy | ||||
| Logical Consistency | Species point observations fall on waterbodies (polygons) and on/near watercourses (lines) as intended. Spatial joins have been performed to ensure that observations fall on/near the listed water feature. | |||
| Completeness | This is the most comprehensive fish species database maintained in Minnesota. However, there are likely to be smaller data holdings that are not represented here. We welcome contributions from external sources. See Contact Information (Section 1, above). | |||
| Horizontal Positional Accuracy | Data are represented as points. For lakes, the records are positioned at the lake centerpoint. For streams, actual locations were used if available. For many records, locations were moved from the Township-Range-Section recorded in the original database to the closest position on the referenced stream. | |||
| Vertical Positional Accuracy | Not Applicable | |||
| Lineage | Generated from GPS-collected UTM locations or moved to waterbody/watercourse from Township-Range-Section locations recorded in the original Fishes of MN database. Observations collected by source DNR Fisheries Lake Survey were moved to the lake centerpoint from the actual sampled location. Observations of protected species were "obscured", either by calculating UTMS to NULL or moving points to lake and stream centerpoints. All other lake and stream observations appear at their original locations. | |||
| Section 3 | Spatial Data Organization (not used in this metadata) | |||
| Section 4 | Coordinate System | |||
| Horizontal Coordinate Scheme | Universal Transverse Mercator | |||
| UTM Zone Number | 15 | |||
| Horizontal Datum | NAD83 | |||
| Horizontal Units | meters | |||
| Section 5 | Attributes | |||
| Overview | This is a large Postgres database which holds fish species observation records for the DNR Fishes of MN Mapper application.
| |||
| Detailed Citation | ||||
| Table Detail: | ||||
| biota_fishes_of_mn - MNDNR Fishes of MN DB (MNDNR Fishes of MN DB) | |||
| Field Name | Valid Values | Definition | Definition Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOM_iD* | 1 to 500000 | Unique sequential ID that links data records back to the original Ecological Resources Filemaker Pro database | MNDNR Fishes of MN DB |
| SP_SNAME*^ | Fish species scientific name | ||
| SP_CNAME*^ | Fish species common name | ||
| GROUP_SNAM^ | Fish group scientific name | ||
| GROUP_CNAM^ | Fish group common name | ||
| SP_CER_DES | enumerated | Species certainty: level to which species was identified | |
| ID to species | Identified to species level (e.g., Lepomis gibbosus) | ||
| ID to genus | Identified to genus level (e.g., Lepomis sp.) | ||
| ID to group | Identified to group level (e.g., Small cyprinids) | ||
| ID as hybrid | Identified as hybrid (e.g., Lepomis x Lepomis) | ||
| HABGUILD_A^ | enumerated | Habitat guild of adult stage of this species | EWR Stream Habitat Group |
| DP | Deep Pool | ||
| FR | Fast Riffle | ||
| MP | Medium Pool | ||
| RW | Raceway | ||
| SP | Shallow Pool | ||
| SR | Slow Riffle | ||
| SP_STATUS | enumerated | Protection status of species | |
| F | Listed as a Federally Endangered species. This is a federal designation. | ||
| E | Listed as a Minnesota Endangered Species. This is a state designation. | ||
| G | Listed as a Minnesota Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). This is a state designation. | ||
| N | Species is non-native to Minnesota | ||
| T | Listed as a Minnesota Threatened Species. This is a state designation. | ||
| WB_TYPE | enumerated | Waterbody type | |
| Lake | Lake, pond, reservoir | ||
| Stream | Stream, river or ditch | ||
| Wetland | Wetland, marsh, bog, swamp, slough | ||
| WB_NAME* | Waterbody name | ||
| FW_ID | Fisheries Waterbody ID: unique, sequential number that links data to DNR Fisheries Lake Survey Oracle database | ||
| DOW_NUM* | Division of Waters unique lake ID number that links to DNR Waters Lakes DB (Oracle database) | ||
| LAKE_NAME | Division of Waters lake name from DNR Waters Lakes DB (Oracle database) | ||
| ALT_NAME | Division of Waters alternate lake name from DNR Waters Lakes DB (Oracle database) | ||
| KITTLE_NUM | DNR Fisheries unique watercourse ID | ||
| KITTLE_NAM | DNR Fisheries watercourse name | ||
| RIVER_MILE | River mile or stretch of river (mile to mile) corresponding to a data record. | ||
| GEN_LOC | General location description corresponding to data record | ||
| HABITAT | Habitat description corresponding to data record | ||
| FSH_OFFICE | DNR Fisheries area office name | ||
| REGION_NAME | enumerated | DNR Region | |
| Northwest | Northwest Region 1 (Bemidji) | ||
| Northeast | Northeast Region 2(Grand Rapids) | ||
| Central | Central Region 3 (St. Paul) | ||
| Southern | Southern Region 4 (New Ulm) | ||
| STATE_NAME | enumerated | State or province. | |
| Iowa | Iowa | ||
| Manitoba | Manitoba, Canada (province) | ||
| Minnesota | Minnesota | ||
| North Dakota | North Dakota | ||
| Ontario | Ontario, Canada (province) | ||
| South Dakota | South Dakota | ||
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin | ||
| COUNTY_NAME* | County name | ||
| TOWN_NAME* | Town name | ||
| TOWNSHIP* | Township number | ||
| RANGE* | Range number and direction (E/W) | ||
| SECTION* | Section number | ||
| UTM_X* | X coordinate of point location in projection UTM NAD83 Zone 15 meters | ||
| UTM_Y | Y coordinate of point location in projection UTM NAD83 Zone 15 meters | ||
| MINOR_ID | DNR Minor watershed number (5 digits). First 2 digits represent DNR Major watershed number | ||
| MINOR_NAME | DNR Minor watershed name | ||
| MAJOR_ID | DNR Major watershed number | ||
| MAJOR_NAME | DNR Major watershed name | ||
| PROV_NAME | DNR Level 1 Watershed Name (formerly known as DNR Province name) | ||
| HUC02_ID | enumerated | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 1 (Region) | |
| 04 | Great Lakes Region | ||
| 07 | Upper Mississippi Region | ||
| 09 | Souris-Red-Rainy Region | ||
| 10 | Missouri Region | ||
| HUC04_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 2 (Sub-Region) | ||
| HUC04_NAME | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) Name - Level 2 (Sub-Region) | ||
| HUC04_MN_N* | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) Minnesota-specific Name - Level 2 (Sub-Region) | ||
| HUC06_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 3 (Basin) | ||
| HUC08_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 4 (Sub-Basin) | ||
| HUC10_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 5 | ||
| HUC12_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 6 | ||
| HUC14_ID | HUC level not implemented | ||
| HUC16_ID | USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Category) ID - Level 8 | ||
| DATE* | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | ||
| DATE_DESC | Date certainty description: certainty of survey date | ||
| CATCH* | Catch (number of fish of a single species caught in survey effort) | ||
| GEAR* | enumerated | Gear type used during survey effort | |
| Angling | Angling | ||
| Electroshocker | All types of electroshockers (backpack, boat) | ||
| Gill net | All types of gill nets | ||
| Minnow trap | All types of minnow traps | ||
| Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous method | ||
| Seine | All types of seines | ||
| Trap net | All types of trap nets | ||
| Trawl | All types of trawls | ||
| Trotline | All types of trotlines | ||
| Commercial | Gears used by commercial operations | ||
| Multiple Gear | Multiple gears used | ||
| Observation | Fish was observed | ||
| Other Gear | All other types of gear (net, gaff, etc.) | ||
| Unknown | Unknown gear or method | ||
| SOURCE* | Source of data record | ||
| COLLECTOR | Collector of fish during survey effort | ||
| IDENTIFIER | Identifier of fish during survey effort | ||
| MUSEUM | enumerated | Museum name; refers to vouchered specimens only | |
| No museum | No museum (specimen not vouchered). | ||
| CNHM | Canada Natural History Museum (CNHM) | ||
| INHS | Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) | ||
| JFBM | Bell Museum (JFBM) | ||
| JFBM, UT | Bell Museum, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (JFBM, UT) | ||
| MPM | Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) | ||
| ROM | Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canada | ||
| UF | University of Florida-Gainesville (UF) | ||
| UMMZ | University of Michigan - Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) | ||
| USNM | US National Museum (USNM) | ||
| UWSP | University of Wisconsin-Steven's Point (UWSP) | ||
| UWZM | University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum-Madison (UWZM) | ||
| UT | University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UT) | ||
| CMN | Canada Museum of Nature (CMN) | ||
| INBS | Indiana Biological Survey (INBS) | ||
| MCBS | University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences (MCBS) | ||
| OSUM | Ohio State University Museum (OSUM) | ||
| SU | San Francisco University (SU) | ||
| SPNAT_DESC | enumerated | Nature (method) of vouchered specimen | |
| not preserved | Not preserved (voucher = F only) | ||
| alcohol | Preserved in alcohol | ||
| display mount | Specimen mounted in display | ||
| not extant | Specimen not extant (i.e., no longer exists) (voucher = F only) | ||
| photographed only | Specimen photographed only | ||
| preserved | Specimen preserved - method not recorded | ||
| released | Specimen released (voucher = F only) | ||
| skeleton | Skeleton preserved | ||
| unknown | Specimen preservation method unknown | ||
| VOUCHER* | enumerated | ||
| True | Voucher = True: Specimen was preserved AND has a catalog number. See SPNAT_DESC (nature of specimen) and MUSEUM (museum having vouchered specimen). | ||
| False | Voucher = False: Specimen was not preserved OR specimen was preserved but DOES NOT HAVE a catalog number. See SPNAT_DESC (nature of specimen). | ||
| OBSCURED* | enumerated | ||
| Y | Original location of observation has been obscured to protect species (all federally and state protected species) and net sets (Fisheries Lake Survey data). For lakes, obscured locations are placed at the lake centerpoint. For streams, they are usually placed at the centerpoint of the stream segment within the same HUC12 watershed as the original location. If UTMs are NULL, the original UTMs have been removed and not yet (but will eventually be) replaced with obscured UTMs. | ||
| N | Original location of observation | ||
| Section 6 | Distribution | |||
| Publisher | MNDNR - Division of Fish and Wildlife - Fisheries Unit | |||
| Publication Date | 11/01/2014 | |||
| Contact Person Information | Zeb Thomas, GIS Data Systems Coordinator Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Rd St. Paul, MN 55155-4011 Phone: 651-259-5637 Email: [email protected] | |||
| Distributor's Data Set Identifier | biota_fishes_of_mn.gdb/biota_fishes_of_mn | |||
| Distribution Liability | Please read accompanying document: Minnesota DNR Data and Software License Agreement.pdf | |||
| Ordering Instructions | Visit the web site noted in the online linkage section, or send an email to the Distribution Contact listed in this metadata record Download data from the MNDNR Fishes of MN Mapper website at the URL below. Available in .csv (comma-delimited text for Excel) and .shp (ESRI shapefile for GIS) formats from the Tabular Results page. | |||
| Online Linkage | None available | |||
| Section 7 | Metadata Reference | |||
| Metadata Date | 06/04/2015 | |||
| Contact Person Information | Zeb Thomas, GIS Data Systems Coordinator Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Rd St. Paul, MN 55155-4011 Phone: 651-259-5637 Email: [email protected] | |||
| Metadata Standard Name | Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines | |||
| Metadata Standard Version | 1.2 | |||
| Metadata Standard Online Linkage | http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/committee/standards/mgmg/metadata.htm | |||
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