title: Simultaneous monitoring of faecal indicators and harmful algae using an in-situ autonomous sensor.
abstract: Faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and harmful algal blooms (HABs) threaten the health and the economy of coastal communities worldwide. Emerging automated sampling technologies combined with molecular analytical techniques could enable rapid detection of micro-organisms in-situ, thereby improving resource management and public health decision-making. We evaluated this concept using a robotic device, the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP). The ESP automates in-situ sample collection, nucleic acid extraction and molecular analyses. Here, the ESP measured and reported concentrations of FIB (Enterococcus spp.), a microbial source-tracking marker (human-specific Bacteriodales) and a HAB species (Psuedo-nitzschia spp.) over a 45-day deployment on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf (Santa Cruz, CA, USA). Both FIB and HABs were enumerated from single in-situ collected water samples. The in-situ qPCR efficiencies ranged from 86% to 105%, while the limit of quantifications during the deployment was 10 copies reaction(-1) . No differences were observed in the concentrations of enterococci, the human-specific marker in Bacteroidales spp., and P. australis between in-situ collected sample and traditional hand sampling methods (P > 0·05). Analytical results were Internet-accessible within hours of sample collection, demonstrating the feasibility of same-day public notification of current water quality conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents the first report of in-situ qPCR enumeration of both faecal indicators and harmful algal species in coastal marine waters. We utilize a robotic device for in-situ quantification of enterococci, the human-specific marker in Bacteriodales and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. from the same water samples collected and processed in-situ. The results demonstrate that rapid, in-situ monitoring can be utilized to identify and quantify multiple health-relevant micro-organisms important in water quality monitoring and that this monitoring can be used to inform same-day notifications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.|Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yamahara
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demir-Hilton
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pargett
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.affiliation: Environment and Water Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scholin
mesh_terms: D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D057097:Harmful Algal Bloom; D006801:Humans; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics; D060753:Water Quality
keywords: Enterococcus; Monterey Bay; Pseudo-nitzschia; ecogenomic sensor; environmental sample processor; faecal indicators; harmful algae; human bacteriodales; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; sandwich hybridization