NANODe - Introduction

Distribution map showing presence and absence sites for Nanode across North America

The North American Non-Marine Ostracode Database Project began at the U.S. Geological Survey in response to the growing need to develop continental scale datasets of environmentally and climatically sensitive bio-indicators, such as ostracodes. Ostracodes are microscopic crustaceans that live in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, including lakes, streams, wetlands, springs, aquifers, and the ocean. Their calcite shells are useful as sources of geochemical information (oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotopes, trace metals and heavy metals) and their specific habitat requirements make them good bio-indicators. This project, which focuses on nonmarine ostracodes in North America (version 1 is primarily the contiguous 48 states of the U.S.A.), has received funding from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and Kent State University.

NANODe Version 1
North American Non-Marine Ostracode Database
NANODe Sample Site Distribution Map

The database currently consists of 600 sites, with associated ostracode species presence-absence data for 89 species, major ion hydrochemistry and climate (precipitation and temperature) data. These sites are distributed throughout the continental U.S.A., with a few sites in Canada and Mexico (See NANODe site distribution map below). The project continues at Kent State University in the Department of Geology.