UCLA

Microbial contamination of coastal waters is a global environmental and public health concern. However, monitoring and tracking of microbial contaminants may require technical expertise and may be costly and labor-intensive. Thus, to address this environmental issue in both developed and developing countries, current methods need to be cross-validated, and more accessible methods need to be proposed.

Therefore, this dissertation investigates the sources, fate, and transport of fecal indicator and antibiotic resistant bacteria in coastal watersheds. This dissertation utilizes culture-, molecular-, and satellite-based techniques to provide cross comparison. Additionally, this dissertation implements these techniques into course-based research experiences (CREs) for graduate students to assess whether CREs influence graduate students’ confidence and interest in research.

In chapter 1, a team of collaborators from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Pennsylvania, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Health the Bay investigate oceanic responses to the 2018 Woolsey Fire using in-situ data of fecal indicator bacteria and satellite-derived data of turbidity. Chapter 2 examines commercially available garden products as sources of antibiotic resistance genes. In Chapter 3, researchers from UCLA and the Autonomous University of Baja California evaluate the effects of reclaimed water irrigation on antibiotic resistance gene levels in a coastal agricultural region in Mexico. Further, chapter 4 and 5 implement traditional and novel culture- and molecular-based methods to quantify antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to examine the microbial burden hospital sewage discharges to the sewershed and to assess impacts of urbanization by comparing an urbanized watershed to an adjacent natural watershed. Lastly, chapter 6 incorporates these methods into a CRE for graduate students. Ultimately, this dissertation showcases the utility of equitable research methodologies in the field and the classroom.