Chris Browne, UR - Smyrna Bacteria

E. coli

     Bacteria can be beneficial or harmful, and sometimes the amounts of bacteria present can be a normal setting for any marine coastline environment. Dr. Woodall has instructed me that the primary purposes of my IRP will include the datum results of bacteria in the Canal Street inlet, as well as researching the impact that bacteria has had on similar environments (Muirhead, 2006). Local, International, rural, and urban areas have had many studies done, as the where our waste ends up, is where our society would be wise to manage effectively.

Canal Street Inlet

     Bacteria can have detrimental consequences to our human health, as we live and work in the coastlines. Most coastlines are fished and harvested regularly (Cooke, 1976). The health of the organisms in these environments are important in many ways. Specifically the shellfish and benthic organisms that clean our waterways are in jeopardy. As stewards of our environment, keeping a keen eye on our micro biotic ecosystems (Drexler, 2014) will prove significant as they set the stage in the macro environment.

     Ranges of attempts have been made to address bacteria in our environment. Taking studies from the effects of disinfection of our own waste water could be considered (Blatchley, 2007). E. coli and other food borne bacteria is a common problem for urban environments (Ibekwe, 2011). Too much anaerobic bacteria can cause massive area deaths of beneficial plants and animals. Those areas, in turn can then become toxic other areas as tides move in and out. My IRP will focus on all these areas, and shed some light onto downtown New Smyrna.  

E. coli petri dish test

~CMB

Blatchley, E. (2007). Effects of Wastewater Disinfection on Waterborne Bacteria and Viruses. Retrieved from Water Environment Research Vol. 79, No. 1, January 2007: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org.db06.linccweb.org/stable/23805205

Cooke, M. (1976). Antibiotic Resistance Among Coliform and Fecal Coliform Bacteria Isolated from Sewage, Seawater, and Marine Shellfish. Retrieved from Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Jun; 9(6): 879–884.: PMCID: PMC429643

Drexler, J. (2014). Marsh soils as potential sinks for Bacteroides fecal indicator bacteria, Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, Georgetown, SC, USA. Retrieved from Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 225.2 (Feb. 2014):: DOI: http://dx.doi.org.db06.linccweb.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1861-1

Ibekwe, M. (2011). Microbiological Evaluation of Water Quality from Urban Watersheds for Domestic Water Supply Improvement. Retrieved from Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Dec; 8(12): 4460–4476.: doi: 10.3390/ijerph8124460

Muirhead, R. (2006). Interaction of Escherichia coli and Soil Particles in Runoff. Retrieved from Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 May; 72(5): 3406–3411.: doi: 10.1128/AEM.72.5.3406-3411.2006