Actionable Science for Managing Persistent and Emerging Fecal Contamination Risks in Coastal Waters

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Elevated fecal bacteria concentrations in nearshore waters pose significant risks to public health by threatening the safety of recreational waters (e.g., beaches) and wild and farmed shellfish harvested as seafood. This seminar will describe my team’s work developing predictive models and generating actionable data to support decision-making related to fecal contamination risks in coastal surface waters, focusing on real-time risk assessment and management challenges arising from sea-level rise. In terms of real-time risk assessment, I will present the development and implementation of fecal bacteria concentration nowcast models, as well as our work to expand in situ sensing through collaborative partnerships with oyster farmers. I will also share our research on emerging fecal contamination risks driven by interactions between sea-level rise, aging coastal infrastructure, and day-to-day sanitation challenges (e.g., pet waste pickup).

Natalie Nelson is an associate professor in biological and agricultural engineering and faculty fellow in the Center for Geospatial Analytics at North Carolina State University. She leads the Coastal and Watershed Analytics Lab, studies from which focus on characterizing when, where, and why nonpoint source pollution occurs in coastal and inland waters. She received her BS and PhD in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at UF.