This $388,362 Project Grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 under the Geographic Programs - South Florida Geographic Initiatives Program (CFDA 66.484) will fund the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) to characterize nutrient and microbial water quality in the nearshore "halo zone" of the Florida Keys and its connections to the broader regional water quality of the reef tract. Key activities include conducting water sampling from small boats along four transects, analyzing water samples for abundance of fecal bacteria, marine pathogens, and plankton communities, and measuring physico-chemical properties. Expected outcomes include seasonally resolving linkages between water quality and the microbiome of the coastal region. A subaward will be issued for sequencing services. This research aims to provide a comprehensive data archive on water quality in the Florida Keys to inform environmental management and policy decisions.
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