Draft Genome Sequences of 42 Environmental Vibrio vulnificus Strains Isolated from the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

is a Gram-negative bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen that can cause septicemia or necrotizing fasciitis. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 42 environmental strains collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. These data will allow for more robust comparisons between clinical and environmental strains.

Blood Parasites of Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) from Two Migratory Corridors, in the Southern USA.

We collected 180 Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) in September and October 2002 from Florida, US (n=100, representing the eastern migratory corridor) and the Louisiana-Texas, US, border (n=80, representing the western migratory corridor) and examined for blood parasites using thin heart-blood smears. Leucocytozoon simondi, Haemoproteus nettionis, and microfilariae were found in 16, 23, and 27 birds, respectively. Prevalence of L.

Relationship of human-associated microbial source tracking markers with Enterococci in Gulf of Mexico waters.

Human and ecosystem health can be damaged by fecal contamination of recreational waters. Microbial source tracking (MST) can be used to specifically detect domestic sewage containing human waste, thereby informing both risk assessment and remediation strategies. Previously, an inter-laboratory collaboration developed standardized PCR methods for a bacterial, an archaeal, and a viral indicator of human sewage.

New USEPA water quality criteria by 2012: GOMA concerns and recommendations.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) was tasked by the five Gulf State Governors to identify major issues affecting the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and to set priorities for ameliorating these problems. One priority identified by GOMA is the need to improve detection methods for water quality indicators, pathogens and microbial source tracking. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is tasked with revising water quality criteria by 2012; however, the locations traditionally studied by the USEPA are not representative of the GoM and this has raised concern about whether or not the new criteria will be appropriate.

Novel application of a statistical technique, Random Forests, in a bacterial source tracking study.

In this study, data from bacterial source tracking (BST) analysis using antibiotic resistance profiles were examined using two statistical techniques, Random Forests (RF) and discriminant analysis (DA) to determine sources of fecal contamination of a Texas water body. Cow Trap and Cedar Lakes are potential oyster harvesting waters located in Brazoria County, Texas, that have been listed as impaired for bacteria on the 2004 Texas 303(d) list. Unknown source Escherichia coli were isolated from water samples collected in the study area during two sampling events.