Freshwater Sediment Transcriptome

Freshwater beaches are a major attraction for recreational water usage, especially around the Laurentian Great Lakes. Unfortunately, there are many reported cases of beachgoers contracting a waterborne illness due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The status of public beaches is typically assessed based on colony forming units of Escherichia coli in the water column. However, several studies have reported that sediment dynamics (i.e. resuspension, transport, deposition) influence the microbial community in both the sediment and water compartments. Therefore, this study focuses on the active microbial community within the top layer of bed sediment in the swim zone of four public beaches in Windsor-Essex in Southern Ontario. The goals are: 1) to determine if the bed sediment is a source of pathogenic bacteria in freshwater, and 2) examine the transcriptome of the bed sediment samples for functioning pathogens. This study will provide a better understanding of the biogeochemistry of freshwater beaches for management strategies and public health safety.