Effects of changing land use on the microbial water quality of tidal creeks.

Population growth along the southeastern United States coast has precipitated the conversion of forested watersheds to suburban and urban ones. This study sampled creeks representing forested, suburban, and urban watersheds along a longitudinal gradient for indicators of water quality, including traditional indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms and enterococci) and alternative viral indicators (male-specific and somatic coliphages). Tested microorganisms were generally distributed with highest concentrations in creek headwaters and in more developed watersheds. The headwaters also showed the strongest predictive relationship between indicator concentrations and urbanization as measured by impervious cover. A seasonal pattern was observed for indicator bacteria but not for indicator viruses. Coliphage typing indicated the likely source of contamination was nonhuman. Results suggest that headwater creeks can serve as sentinel habitat, signaling early warning of public health concerns from land-based anthropogenic activities. This study also implies the potential to eventually forecast indicator concentrations under land use change scenarios.

Cumulative impacts of dock shading on Spartina alterniflora in South Carolina estuaries.

Salt marshes dominated by Spartina alterniflora and the associated networks of tidal creeks that drain them are characteristic geographical features of southeastern estuaries, important nursery habitat areas, and preferred sites for residential development. As the size of the coastal population increases, so has the number of requests for dock permits. With each new request for a dock permit, public concerns about the cumulative environmental impacts of dock proliferation on the coastal environment have increased. The objective of this particular study was to evaluate the impacts of shading by dock structures on stem densities of S. alterniflora in South Carolina coastal marshes. Shading impacts under individual docks were extrapolated to the tidal creek (local), county, and statewide scales. Dock structures were sampled both under and next to the walkway in the Charleston Harbor area of South Carolina. The density of S. alterniflora under docks was significantly lower than that which occurred next to the docks (i.e., 5 m away) for the short-form, tall-form, and both forms combined. We estimated that shading effects from dock structures in South Carolina decreased the stem density of S. alterniflora by 71%. Dock shading effects were small when evaluated from the perspective of the amount of marsh that occurs within specific tidal creeks (0.03-0.72%), in coastal counties at a maximum dock length (0.01-0.98%), or statewide (0.01-0.13%) at a maximum dock length. However, approximately 7,000 docks have been permitted over the last decade, resulting in a loss of salt marsh equivalent to 60 ha.

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of fluoranthene in the estuarine oligochaete Monopylephorus rubroniveus.

The tolerance of the estuarine oligochaete Monopylephorus rubroniveus to fluoranthene was characterized both in the presence and absence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Using waterborne exposures, the 72-h median lethal concentration (LC(50)) and median lethal dose (LD(50)) were 0.7 (95% CI, 0.4-0.8) microg/L and 8.0 (5.6-9.6) microg/g worm dry weight, respectively, in the presence of UV radiation [UV-A=64.7+/-1.0 mu W/cm(2) (mean+/-standard deviation)]. In the absence of UV radiation, little mortality was observed, even at the water solubility limits of fluoranthene (120.4 microg/L). Mean bioconcentration factors across all treatments was 10,893+/-2828. Using sediment exposures, little mortality was observed following 10 days at concentrations as high as 3912 microg fluoranthene/g sediment dry weight in both the presence of UV radiation (UV-A=108.4+/-1.3 mu W/cm(2)) and its absence. Bioaccumulation of sediment-associated fluoranthene was comparatively high and varied little among the five sediment treatments. The results of the present study demonstrate that M. rubroniveus is (1) sensitive to waterborne fluoranthene in the presence of UV radiation and (2) highly tolerant of fluoranthene in the presence of sediment, despite the ability to bioaccumulate fluoranthene to comparatively high levels. These findings suggest that those environmental factors which could potentially increase their exposure to UV radiation need to be considered when assessing the overall risk of fluoranthene to M. rubroniveus.