Poster Details
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL IN A NATIONAL BIOMONITORING NETWORK IN CANADA
The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is a networked approach to biomonitoring for the assessment of freshwater ecosystems across Canada and has been in operation at some scale since 1999. CABIN provides standardized protocols and online tools to promote data sharing. To ensure consistency among the variety of contract taxonomists used by partners, a National Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) laboratory was established in 2008 to maintain reference collections, verify voucher specimens, and provide 3rd party audits on contractor sorting efficiency and identification errors. The CABIN protocol also recommends the use of SFS certified taxonomists as a first step in the QAQC process. This level of quality assurance was recently applied to all aspects of CABIN in an annual quality assurance plan where quality gates within the program were identified to support program improvement and data verification and validation. In the 2 years since inception, quality reports have identified data verification and validation shortcomings and program improvements which will be implemented in subsequent years. The QAQC guidance will be made available to other network partners for application in their own CABIN projects.
Adam Martens (Primary Presenter/Author), Environment and Climate Change Canada, adam.martens@canada.ca;
Martin Jean (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Environment and Climate Change Canada, Martin.Jean@canada.ca;