Long-term water quality analysis reveals correlation between bacterial pollution and sea level rise in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Autor: Powers NC; Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA., Pinchback J; Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX 78701, USA., Flores L; Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX 78701, USA., Huang Y; School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA., Wetz MS; Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA., Turner JW; Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA. Electronic address: jeffrey.turner@tamucc.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Marine pollution bulletin [Mar Pollut Bull] 2021 May; Vol. 166, pp. 112231. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Mar 30.
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112231
Abstrakt: Long-term assessments are needed to identify water quality trends and their socio-environmental drivers for coastal management and watershed restoration. This study provides the first long-term assessment of fecal bacterial pollution in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico using enterococci data spanning the Texas coast from 2009 to 2020. The data were representative of 66 beaches, 169 stations, and over 75,000 samples. Findings demonstrate that 22 beaches are 'hotspots' of pollution and experienced enterococci levels that frequently exceeded the USEPA beach action value. Further, enterococci were correlated with time, population size, and sea level. Weak correlations detected in some counties highlight the multifactorial nature of water quality; additional factors are likely influencing enterococci levels. The correlation with sea level is concerning, as counties vulnerable to sea level rise frequently reported enterococci concentrations exceeding the beach action value. In consideration of sea level rise predictions, targeted studies are needed to pinpoint drivers of fecal pollution.
(Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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