BioProject

Estuaries are responsible for over 80% of fish harvested in the USA. These highly productive biological systems are influenced by complex marine processes like oceanic waves and winds as well as human activities, riverine nutrients and sediment. More...

Estuaries are responsible for over 80% of fish harvested in the USA. These highly productive biological systems are influenced by complex marine processes like oceanic waves and winds as well as human activities, riverine nutrients and sediment. Polluted marine ecosystems, including estuaries, can influence human health negatively. Human and natural perturbations induce community adjustments and changes in species dominance. Human perturbations include introduction of chemicals and toxins as well as nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that can induce harmful algal blooms. Unfortunately, estuaries also act as metal sinks that aid with the co-selection of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in resident microbial organisms. Selection in antibiotic resistance will impact the environment at a species, communities and ecosystems level. Mobile genetic elements are a type of antibiotic resistance determinants that are involved in mechanisms responsible for mobility and acquisition of AR genes among and across taxa that drive microbial structure and evolution. Microbes and their associated AR genes can enter the food chain and become incorporated into essential food supplies such as fish and other seafood, that are sources of protein for humans. In light of the food and recreational value of estuaries, it is important to understand estuarine AR dynamics. This article demonstrates how to assess diversity for microbial assemblages and ARD that include: bacteriophages, plasmids, transposable elements and metal resistance genes. It also discusses the link between estuarine systems and public health in the light of emerging infectious agents and invasive invertebrate species which can be used in the dispersion of microbial assemblages that could be harboring resistance genes. This effort will be helpful for future studies that have a link between watershed management, estuaries, microbial assemblages and public health. Less...