Sure, this might be a bit niche, but in preparation for the imminent release of a portal for Melbourne Water’s stream macroinvertebrate database, I’ve created a data-entry app for compiling macroinvertebrate assemblage data into a table that is suitable for entry into the database (and suitable for analysis on its own).
The app has been prepared specifically to aid compilation of new data for the Melbourne database, but it is potentially useful for anyone wrangling stream macroinvertebrate data from anywhere in Australia.
If you have written data sheets from sample identifications in the lab that you need to prepare for analysis, then give the app a try.
The app uses taxonomic tables derived from the full list of Australian stream macroinvertebrate taxa developed by John Dean of EPA Victoria, and organized by his bugcodes (that are also used by AUSRIVAS). It takes the entered taxon names, determines the correct bugcode, and produces a table listing sample code, taxoncode, taxon name, and other relevant information.
It also allows a check for taxonomic synonyms of taxa that have been revised.
Once you have finished entering your data, you can download the compiled table as an Excel file.
The advantages of using the app include, ensuring correct, consistent spelling and up-to-date naming of all taxa, automatic allocation of EPA bugcodes, and data formatted correctly, ready for import into Melbourne Water’s database.