Ecosystem and Human Health Effects Associated with Eutrophication

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• Ecosystem and Human Health Effects Associated
  with Eutrophication
• Geoff Scott
• NOAA/NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean
  Science
• Center for Coastal Environmental
• Health And Biomolecular Research

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Report Card on Coastal Ecosystem Health

• COASTAL CONDITION REPORT Nearly half of
  Estuarine Ecosystems were impaired primarily due
  to NPS pollution
• A national survey conducted by NOAA Two thirds
  of our estuaries and bays in the U.S. are
  moderately or severely impacted by eutrophication.

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Eutrophication Human Activity on Land Ultimately
Affects Water Quality Coastal Ecosystem Health

• Land Use activity may impact water quality
• Altered or Impacted water quality may in turn
  impact ecosystem health and human health
• Impacts Increased levels of Harmful Algal
  Blooms, Human Health Microbes, Contaminants of
  Emerging Concern

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Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
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Florida Red Tide Brevetoxin May Pose Respiratory
Problems
Inhalation of airborne HAB toxins at beaches is a
common occurrence and growing concern, especially
for people with asthma or other pre-exiting
breathing problems.

• New NOAA research indicates that inhaling
  brevetoxin causes damage in the lung that may
  increase risks of cancer formation.

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HAB Forecast System Early Warning to Protect
Human Health
Model Output
Observations
Synthesis and Analysis
A harmful algal bloom has been identified in
patches from southern Lee to central Collier
County. Patchy very low impacts are possible from
southern Lee County to central Collier County
today through Thursday. No other impacts are
expected.
Conditions Report (public)
HAB Bulletin (managers)
http//www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf
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Report Card on Coastal Ecosystem Health

• Increasing number of beach advisories or closures
  occurred in the U.S. Due to bacterial
  contamination
• Nearly half of the shellfish beds in the U.S. had
  harvest restrictions resulting from urban runoff,
  discharges from septic tanks, runoff from animal
  feedlots and wildlife pollution sources.

Pollution Sources
Microbes
Water Quality
Health
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Getting Sick at the Beach?

• In 2006 alone, the US had 34,358 days of beach
  closures/advisories, due to the presence of
  pathogens (bacteria, viruses or other
  disease-causing microbes) and HABs
• NRDC estimates 10 of beachgoers contract GI
  illness for gt7,000,000 cases annually
• Estimated annual public health costs in just two
  counties in California were 21 51 M -
  extrapolate to the U.S., potentially huge

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Chesapeake Bay Poor Water Quality is Linked to
Increased Public Health Risk
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Vibrios Marine Bacteria Which May Impact Human
Health
Vibrio cholerae
Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) Vibrio vulnificus
(Vv)

• Vibrio infection rates have substantially
  increased over the last decade.
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and V. vulnificus
  (Vv) are the most common cause of seafood illness
  
• Vv can result in death
• Vp estimated at thousands of cases per year, with
  outbreaks all over the U.S. including 1st time in
  Alaska in 2004.

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Beach and Shellfish Harvest Area Forecast Models

• Provide early warning
• information
• for the public, municipal and governmental
  officials

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Urbanization inCoastal Ecosystems

• Globally gt 55 of the worlds population lives
  within 50 miles of the coast
• Half of the US population reside within 50 miles
  of the coast, which occupies less than 11 of the
  land area of the lower 48 states
• Greatest rate of population change has been in
  the southeastern US (58 increase) followed by
  the Pacific (46) Gulf of Mexico (45)

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Impacts of Coastal Development on Marine
Ecosystem and Human Health
This influx of people into the coastal zone has
Contamination of Seafood Beaches
This in turn results in increased discharges of
toxic chemicals (pesticides, trace metals, PAHs,
pharmaceuticals), nutrients, and microbes
Altered Hydrography increased Flooding
Impaired Ecosystems (e.g. hypoxia)
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Urbanization Effects on Coastal Ecosystems
Human Response
Ecological Response
Stressor
Exposure
Physical- Chemical Changes
Coastal Development Activities
Health and Welfare
Living Resources
Impaired Water Quality Hydrography
Reduced Biological Productivity
Increased Population Density
Beach and Shellfish Bed Closures
Microbial Pathogens Contamination
Vulnerability to Flooding
Altered Land Cover
Altered Food Webs
Quality of Life
Increased Impervious Cover
Chemical Contamination
Impaired Animal Health
Quality of Place
10-20 Impervious Cover
10-30 Impervious Cover
20-30 Impervious Cover
Increasing Imperviousness Leads to Increased
Loading of Nutrients, Microbes Contaminants
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Emerging Chemical Contaminants of Concern
Petroleum Hydrocarbons Pharmaceuticals

• National Academy of Sciences (2002) petroleum
  products running off roadways, parking lots in
  the U.S. in an 8 month period Volume spilled in
  the EXXON VALDEZ Oil Spill

Geoff this slide is repeated on the next slide
minus the chemical components, delete which ever
one you dont want to use
Oil spill in water
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel particulate matter

• Pharmaceuticals are frequently found in U.S.
  waterways

Los Angeles total air sample average
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Antibiotic Resistance in Ocean and Coastal Waters

• Antibiotics and other pharmaceuaticals are
  frquently found in waterways throughout the US
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  (MRSA) causes many life-threatening infections at
  hospitals and has become resistant to a number of
  first-line antibiotics.
• MRSA has been detected on some U.S. beaches
  (e.g., Hawaii).
• NOAA-supported research has just documented
  antibiotic resistant Vibro parahaemolyticus and
  V. vulnificus in coastal waters of SC and GA.

Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Marine Life May be Impacted by Pharmaceuticals
Other Emerging Chemical Contaminants of Concern

The majority of sick stranded marine wildlife
in the U.S. exhibited resistance to many common
antibiotics.
Nearly half of the dolphins in the Charleston, SC
area were resistant to more 3 common antibiotics
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NOAA Research Products

• NOAA research studies provide guidance on how to
  mange protect coastal ecosystems and how to
  make sustainable ecosystem based decisions in
  land use planning that protect both ecosystem
  human health.
• NOAA Research is focused on
• -Source Tracking Tools to ID Pollution sources
  so corrective actions may be taken
• -Early Warning HAB Pathogen Forecast
  Detection Systems to better protect health