Note that the ocean field is left blank for land and freshwater species, except those on oceanic islands. Because political boundaries often do not correspond to natural geographic ones, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what information is appropriate for a particular locality field. For example, the Falkland Islands are currently a British possession, but are part of a different continent. Similar questions arise with many island groups and territories. What is important is not whether the answer is yes or no, but that the answer be the same each time.
Consistency is essential for a data base to work optimally.
If a collector maintains a field notebook, as discussed above, the station numbers used therein provide an easy way to generate lists of species collected at each location. The measurements of the specimen will help ensure that it is not accidentally separated from its data. If there are many specimens in a lot, their sizes are better recorded in the remarks field, to prevent the size field from growing too long. Collectors who exchange shells might use this field to record a range of sizes available for trade. This field contains any information that does not readily fit in the other fields, such as collecting technique, or a list of previous owners of a specimen.