SGER: Microbial and HAB Reconnaissance Measurements in Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity in Response to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

本项目是几个协调的海洋环境研究项目之一，该项目由探索性研究小额赠款（SGER）资助，用于快速响应自然灾害：卡特里娜飓风导致的新奥尔良洪水。迈阿密大学NSF-NIEHS海洋与人类健康中心（COHH）的科学家们的这项努力是与巴吞鲁日路易斯安那州立大学、夏威夷大学NSF-NIEHS海洋与人类健康中心和伍兹霍尔海洋研究所进行的一项更大规模合作研究的一部分。卡特里娜飓风在墨西哥湾沿岸地区登陆后不久，新奥尔良地区发生大范围洪水，导致污水溢出和洪水污染。此后不久，这些洪水未经处理就不断被泵入庞恰特雷恩湖，导致污染物扩散到湖中，最终排放到墨西哥湾。通过合作，这个多机构研究小组将调查庞恰特莱恩湖及附近水域被化学污染物、致病微生物和有害藻华（HAB）生物污染的程度。该研究将记录生物和非生物污染物以及有害藻华生物的水平和传播，这些信息将对后续的建模工作有用。在SGER的资助下，迈阿密大学的研究人员将特别关注样本的收集，从水样中提取微生物RNA和DNA，以及病毒病原体（肠病毒和诺如病毒）和原生动物病原体（隐孢子虫和贾第鞭毛虫）样本的分析。此外，作为美国国家科学基金会NIEHS资助的迈阿密大学海洋与人类健康“有毒有害藻华”研究项目的一部分，将收集样本用于分析有害藻华有机体及其毒素。在路易斯安那州立大学和休斯敦大学的互补提案中确定的计划抽样程序将通过迈阿密大学CSTARS中心和路易斯安那州立大学（LSU）提供的遥感技术进行增强。这部分研究将提供有关病毒、原生动物和HAB生物分布的数据。在路易斯安那州立大学和休斯敦大学的资助下，这些分布可以与指标微生物的分布进行比较，以评估“指标”是否为已知公共卫生问题微生物的真实指标。这是很重要的，因为在不受污水影响的温暖潮湿气候中没有观察到相关性。在这种情况下，该地点受到污水的严重影响，如果事实上，这些指标和致病微生物之间存在很强的相关性，记录下来将是很重要的。通过这项研究收集的样本将用于记录由于广泛污染而出现的有害藻华生物。这项快速反应研究的主要广泛影响是，它将在自然灾害发生后提供急需的信息。污水释放的微生物可能会影响包括庞恰特雷恩湖在内的大片地区，随后会影响墨西哥湾。这两个地区的大量人口和渔业现在和将来都可能因接触这些化学物质、微生物和有害藻华菌而患上急性和慢性疾病。从基础科学和公共卫生的角度来看，重要的是调查这些污染物迁移的机制和程度。

ABSTRACTOCE-0554402This project is one of several coordinated marine environmental studies funded through a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) for rapid response to a natural disaster: the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. This effort by scientists at the NSF-NIEHS Center for Ocean and Human Health (COHH) at the University of Miami is part of a larger collaborative study with Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, and with the NSF-NIEHS Centers for Oceans and Human Health at the University of Hawaii and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast Region, widespread flooding in the New Orleans area resulted in sewage overflows and contamination of floodwaters. Shortly thereafter, these floodwaters were pumped continuously into Lake Pontchartrain without treatment, resulting in the spread of contaminants into the Lake, which ultimately discharges towards the Gulf of Mexico. Working collaboratively, the multi-institutional research team will investigate the extent to which the waters in Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity have been contaminated with chemical contaminants, pathogenic microbes, and harmful algal bloom (HAB) organisms. The study will document the levels and spread of biotic and abiotic contaminants along with HAB organisms, information which will be useful for subsequent modeling efforts.With SGER funding under this award, University of Miami investigators will focus specifically on the collection of samples, extraction of microbial RNA and DNA from water samples, and analysis of samples for viral pathogens (enterovirus and Norovirus) and protozoan pathogens (Cryptosporidium and Giardia). In addition, samples will be collected for analysis of HAB organisms and their toxins as part of the NSF NIEHS funded Oceans and Human Health "Toxic HABs" Research Project at the University of Miami. The planned sampling program, as identified in complimentary proposals from LSU and UH, will be augmented with remote sensing technology available through the University of Miami CSTARS Center and Louisiana State University (LSU). This part of the study will provide data concerning the distribution of viruses, protozoans and HAB organisms. Along with funding from LSU and UH, these distributions can be compared with the distribution of indicator microbes to evaluate whether or not the "indicators" are true indicators of microbes of known public health concern. This is of significance as correlations have not been observed in warm humid climates not impacted by sewage. In this case, the site has been highly impacted by sewage, and it would be important to document if, in fact, strong correlations exist between the indicators and the pathogenic microbes. The samples collected through this study will be used to document the HAB organisms which emerge as a result of widespread pollution.The primary broader impact of this rapid-response study is that it will provide much needed information in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The microbes released by the sewage can potentially impact a large area including Lake Pontchartrain, and subsequently the Gulf of Mexico. There are significant human populations and fisheries in both these areas that can experience acute and chronic disease from these chemical, microbial, and HAB organism exposures now and in the future. From a basic science and public health perspective, it is important to investigate the mechanisms by which and the extent to which these contaminants have migrated.