BioProject

Microbial contaminants from land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) are considered to be major threats to coral reef ecosystems. More...

Microbial contaminants from land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) are considered to be major threats to coral reef ecosystems. These LBSP discharges can contain a variety of microbial contaminants, including fecal indicator bacteria, fecal host marker bacteria, and pathogens to both humans and coral ecosystems. Likewise, such microbial contaminants have been measured in coral reef waters of Florida’s Southeastern coast (from Broward to Palm Beach) using both culture-based methods and the amplification of source-specific genetic makers These contaminants may potentially impact the health of corals in this region. Moreover, microbial communities in marine environment fluctuate, both spatially and temporally, due to varied external input sources. Thus, understanding the sources of land-based pollution on coral reef mucus or tissues is essential to assess the microbial loading of such contaminants to coastal waters of corals reef, as well as develop effective mitigation strategies in a cost-effective manner. In the study proposed here we will characterize total microbial community structure in coastal inlets and treated wastewater effluents and in the tissues of coral from Florida’s Southeastern coastal marine ecosystem. Less...