The Whirling Disease Initiative Data Repository is a collaboration between the Montana Water Center, the Big Sky Institute at Montana State University, and the Mountain Prairie Information Node of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII). Contents of the repository include datasets and metadata from research funded by the Initiative from 1997 to present.

Metadata in this repository were collected and are displayed according to the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM)- Biological Data Profile, FGDC-STD-001.1-1999. The CSDGM - Biological Data Profile was developed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), a 19 member interagency committee comprised of representatives from the Executive Office of the President, Cabinet-level and independent agencies.  Load the full text of the CSDGM - Biological Data Profile (270 KB PDF).

Funding
Datasets were provided by the Whirling Disease Initiative, a partnership between the Montana Water Center, Montana State University-Bozeman, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Significant funding for collection and provision of these data was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS Grant # 98210-6-J009).

Rationale for the Repository
Because eradication of whirling disease is unlikely, the best information we can provide to fisheries managers is the means to manage the disease and to control its spread. To improve information sharing and to speed its transfer, the Initiative partnered with the Big Sky Institute and the NBII Mountain Prairie Information Node to provide fisheries professionals with broad information on whirling disease. When complete, this database will be a clearinghouse/repository of cutting-edge information on whirling disease and will contribute to management solutions by prompting research that synthesizes findings from completed projects.

For Additional Questions
See our Frequently Asked Questions first. Use the feedback form to contact us with additional questions about the data repository and its contents.