Sample identification

Sample identification includes date of sample collection, site, location, replicate, type and collection technique. Each category is separated by a hyphen.

Date

Collection date includes the month, day, and year. For example, June 7, 1996, is written 060796.

Site

This is a water conservation area or federally owned property gives the general geographic location of the site. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is responsible for water control in the containment areas and makes numerical designations for the water conservation areas (WCA). The abbreviation used in this report for the Big Cypress National Preserve is BC and the abbreviation used for the Everglades National Park is ENP.

Location

Designations for sites in WCA2A correspond to the names assigned to the sites by the south Florida Water Management. Other designations for sites are arbitrary. Table 1 lists the latitude and longitude for each site. Other location abbreviations include:

Br	Bridge followed by the number of the bridge.
C	Canal
L	Canal identification assigned by SFWMD
TaCu	Taylor Culvert
Trans	Transect followed by number in the sequence of transect

Replicate

Periphyton sample replicates fall into one of three categories.

a	One sample was collected at the site on the collection date.
V	Multiple samples were collected at the site on the collection date. V is followed by one of the letters a - f indicating a point along the circumference of a circle 1-meter in diameter: a = 0o, b = 60o, c = 120o, d =180o, e = 240o, f = 300o.
S	One sample was collected at the site on the collection date, frozen, and sectioned. S is followed by one of the letters a - d: a = top section; b = center section; c = bottom section; d = side section. If a number follows the letters a - d it indicates that the section was subdivided: 1 = top of the section; 2 = middle of the section; 3 = bottom of the section.

If water column replicate samples were collected, they were labeled (1) a, b and c when collected at the same place in a periphyton mat or in the water column, or (2) 0^o, 30^o, 60^o, 90^o, 120^o, 180^o, 240^o, or 300^o when collected at evenly spaced positions on the circumference of a circle 1-meter in diameter.

Type

Solid sample type is indicated by the following abbreviations.

cap = aquatic plant coated with cyanobacteria.
dk = dark-colored coating
de = detritus, flocculent material at base of the water column
e = aquatic plant
g = grass
lt = light-colored coating
m = small fish
ma = macrophyte
p = periphyton
s = seeds
sh = amphipod
sn = snail
sw = sweater-like coating on plant
u = utricularia

Water sample type is indicated by the following abbreviations.

mat water = water collected from within a floating periphyton mat.
water column water = surface-water collected in an area of open water free of floating periphyton mats.

Collection

The manner in which the samples were collected are indicated by the following:

h = bare-hand with the sample transferred to a zip-lock bag.
g = gloved-hand with the sample transferred to a zip-lock bag.
t = gloved-hand with sample transferred to a Teflon container.

Terms

Alkalinity	Milliequivalents per liter as bicarbonate (HCO32-).
--	not analyzed.
n.a.	Analyses that were not performed are indicated by n.a., not analyzed.
n.d.	not detected, below the detection limit of the method of analysis. The detection limit for methylmercury was 0.01 µg/g dry weight of periphyton. A notation of n.d. indicates that a sample was analyzed and did not have a concentration of methylmercury 0.01 µg Hg /g dry weight of sample. Detection limits for other analytes are given in the Methods section.
pH	The hydrogen-ion concentration.

Units of measurement

Units of measurement include mass, volume and concentration.

Mass

g	gram
mg	milligram, 10-3 gram
µg	microgram, 10-6 gram

Volume

L	liter
mL	milliliter, 10-3 liter

Concentration

mg/g	milligrams per gram, parts per thousand
µg/g	micrograms per gram, parts per million
mg/L	milligrams per liter, parts per million
meq/L	milliequivalents per liter. This unit is used in charge balance calculations. A milliequivalent is the weight of a substance that can provide one millimole (0.001 mole) of positive or negative ions. Milliequivalents of a monovalent (carries one unit of charge) element equals millimoles. Milliequivalents of a divalent element (carries two units of charge) in solution, is equal to the number of grams of that element present in one liter of solution divided by the atomic weight of the element multiplied by 2 (divalent charge) and 1000 (milliequivalent equals 1000 times equivalents).
Total C, percent -	Total carbon, in grams per 100 grams of dry periphyton.
Organic C, percent -	Organic carbon, in grams carbon per 100 grams of dry periphyton.
Inorganic C, percent -	Inorganic carbon, in grams per 100 grams of dry periphyton. Calculated as the difference between the percent total carbon and the percent organic carbon in the sample.
Total N, percent -	Total nitrogen in grams nitrogen per 100 grams of dry periphyton.