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The Fish Habitat Database is a synthesis of extensive information on habitat requirements and characteristics of selected Great Lakes fish species. Sponsored by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission through its Habitat Advisory Board, the Fish Habitat Database was developed in response to a need for habitat information on Great Lakes fish species. This need was identified in part in the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of the Great Lakes Fisheries. In addition, natural resource managers from environmental agencies indicated a need for fish habitat data in order to develop and implement Fish Management Plans, Lakewide Management Plans, and Remedial Action Plans that recognize fish as an integral component of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The database potentially contains habitat information for 18 selected fish species at five stages of their life and in six bodies of water. This information was obtained primarily from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Habitat Suitability Index Models and other data where available. This version of the database is not the final product. In fact, information gaps are present in this version. The database is intended to be an ongoing effort which will need maintenance as new needs are identified and new information is discovered. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is seeking an individual or agency that will be able to take over this role on behalf of other users in the Great Lakes basin.
While every effort was made to make the database as accurate as possible, random checks of the accuracy of the database have shown that a small percentage of the entries have inaccuracies. Users should be aware of this limitation and use the database as a tool to find initial facts and sources of information. However, before using the information in journal articles or other final products, a final check on the accuracy is suggested. For further explanation of this limitation refer to the following review by Kristine Dawson entitled "An Assessment of the Fish Habitat Database."
The database will be distributed in disk form with a few copies available in print. In addition, the database will be placed on the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) to ensure maximum availability.
INTRODUCTION
The Fish Habitat Database, a document containing extensive information on habitat characteristics and requirements of selected Great Lakes fish species, has potential to become a valuable source of detailed information on fish ecology. In order for this compilation to be truly useful, however, the information it contains must be accurate and reliable. In a preliminary attempt to determine the accuracy of the information in the March 1993 version of this database, an editor for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission examined a few randomly selected entries. The editor found that some information in the database had been inaccurately reported from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Suitability Index Models, which served as a source for a majority of the entries. These errors caused concern over the credibility of the database, and examination of the database against original research as reported in journals and other publications was necessary in order to determine the document's usefulness. In July 1993, I checked 25 randomly selected entries for accuracy (out of the document Is 1564 entries) , getting a quantitative estimate of the databases dependability.
METHODS
Although the database is organized in an extensive and detailed format, only the species sections containing the actual data and the literature-cited-by-primary-reference-number appendix were used for the purpose of checking the accuracy of the entered information. First, a list of random numbers was obtained. These were used to select the entries that were checked. After locating the entry, the information under the heading "Details" and the original publication for that information (as indicated by the primary reference number) were noted. If the journal or article referred to in the citation was available, the text was obtained and checked against the information in the database. Research was done at the GLFC and the USFWS in Ann Arbor, limiting the entries which could be checked to those whose source could be obtained at either of these locations. Any differences between the source and the database were noted. This process was repeated until 25 entries were checked against their cited publication.
RESULTS
All 23 entries that were actually checked against their original source contained information that had been correctly reported. Out of the 25 entries whose information was checked, three were found to have been cited incorrectly:
CONCLUSIONS
In all 23 cases where sources could be obtained, the actual habitat data and information for each entry was found to be consistent with the original publication. The information in the other two entries, reference numbers 69 and 294, may also be consistent, but the source given by the primary reference number was entirely unrelated to the subject. The other error described above (in reference number 142) was only in the journal and page numbers given in citation. After locating the original article through searches, I found that the entry had been accurately reported.
Assuming the information in entry numbers 69 and 294 was consistent with their source, the accuracy rate is 100% in the 25 randomly-selected entries. In a database of this size, however, other errors in reported information may occur, and a cautious user would be wise to check data with the original source. Overall, despite having a few errors, this database appears to be a useful compilation of habitat information.
The data in the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's Fish Habitat Database is organized in a somewhat complex manner allowing the information to be accessed in a variety of different ways. Eighteen fish species are included in the database. Data regarding these species are divided into categories of life stage and lake that can be referenced in several ways.
The purpose of the following instructions is to familiarize the user with this organization of the database so that s/he will be able to retrieve the data efficiently. The database was created using WordPerfect 6.0. In this way, the features of WordPerfect such as the Search command may be used to move around the document. The instructions begin with a brief organizational outline of the database which may be referred to when reviewing the instructions.
ORGANIZATION OF THE FISH HABITAT DATABASE
The next section of the database is composed of entries of habitat information divided into these categories. Each habitat entry contains four pieces of information: a Database Reference Number, a fish habitat fact called details, a Primary Reference Number, and a Review Number. The fish habitat facts ("details") portion of the habitat data entries are the main substance of the database. Each detail is verbatim text taken from the data source.
In order to avoid confusion, it is critical to distinguish the three different numbers in each habitat entry. The first number, the Database Reference Number, serves only as an identifier for the entry. The second number in each entry is the Primary Reference Number. The Primary Reference Number allows the user to access the source or citation of the habitat data in a particular entry. Each entry also contains a Review Number. The Review Number corresponds to the citation of an article that reviews the source (or primary reference) article.
The remaining sections of the database allow the user to access the data and source documents in different ways. The first two appendices list the literature cited--first by author and second by primary reference number. The review numbers with corresponding citations are also located in the second appendix. The third appendix is a sequential listing of database reference numbers and the fish species to which they correspond. Please note that each citation should be double-checked before use in a journal article or other official document.
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