PIE-LTER

File Naming and Site Name Protocol

The Excel metadata template file contains both a sheet for metadata and data.The resulting combined metadata and data file should be named starting with a three letter acronym of the main research theme of the data set (see table below). A second two letter acronym is appended that describes the research site (see table below). A descriptor is then appended that briefly describes the dataset. For instance, dissolved oxygen transect data from the Parker River is named "EST-PR-O2", and tidal-creek nutrient data from the long-term experiments is named "LTE-TC-NUT". The data-manager may edit file names as appropriate. These same naming methods apply for the PIE LTER site names. All site names will have the same three and two letter descriptors, and an appended descriptor. For instance, the Middle Bridge YSI monitoring station is named "MON-PR-MBYSI". This descriptor will either be an abbreviation describing the station or a river kilometer distance that describes its location along one of the rivers in the Plum Island ecosystem. Please use this River Kilometer Image as an aid in determining names for sampling locations. The image is color-coded to show which two-letter site descriptor code should be used in station naming. The convention that has been established for determining locations on a river is based upon river kilometer, where the mouth of Plum Island Sound is the starting point at 0.0 km. River kilometer markings are clearly labeled in this image as is the 0.0 km starting point in the Sound.

Major Research Theme Acronyms

Watershed	WAT
Marsh	MAR
Water Column	EST
Benthos	BEN
Higher Trophic Levels	HTL
Models	MOD
Long Term Experiments	LTE
Short Term Projects & Experiments	STP
Geographic Information Systems	GIS
Monitoring	MON

Some Site Descriptors

Parker River	PR
Rowley River	RO
Ipswich River	IP
Mill River	MI
Egypt River	EG
Muddy River	MU
Marsh Fertilization	MF
Plot-level Marsh Fertilization	MP
Tidal Creeks	TC
Various sites	VA