ordered well in advance of their use. Therefore, the necessary shipping materials and instructions should be on hand prior to leaving for the field so that samples can be shipped directly from the field to the appropriate contract laboratory.
A complete list of the contents of each package, including appropriate information from the sample identification code, is placed in the package as a packing list. Copies of the packing list are sent to the contractor and the BQAU, and one copy is retain ed by the study unit. The field sample log (fig. 8) serves as the basis for the packing list by indicating information on each container returned from the field. Entries listed under the "Sample description " heading include a description of the type of sample (QMH, RTH, or DTH) and the sample element code (A, macroalgae; B, microalgae; or C, aquatic mosses). The "Disposition" column indicates the date that the containers were shipped and their destination: BQAU or the name of the c ontract laboratory (XYZ Laboratory). A copy of the field sample log should be sent to the BQAU to aid in inventorying and tracking samples.
Data are returned by the contractor directly to the BQAU, where data are reviewed for quality and accuracy. Provisional data are released to the study units by way of NWIS-II and are available only to the local study unit. Once appropriate quality-assurance/quality-control checks have been completed, the BQAU, in consultation with the study-unit chief, releases taxonomic data for general access.