Rapid Assessment Group Presentation

Team C.R.A.B.S.:Antibiotic Resistance Levels in Wetlands: 

Team C.R.A.B.S.: Antibiotic Resistance Levels in Wetlands Group Mentor: David R. Tilley, Ph.D. website Group Librarian: Marian Burright Group Members: Neil Agarwal Sean Ahearn Steve Brooks Erik Dudziak Joseph Hart Sehba Khan Daniel Marcin Matt Shofnos Emily Skoda Nirali Soni Divya Venkatachari Robert Vocke III

Research Question: 

Research Question Can the level of antibiotic resistance in a wetland be related to its overall health?

In the beginning…: 

In the beginning… Denise Clearwater (MDE) Wetland Conservation Plan Project leader MDE Background

Expansion on MDE Project: 

Expansion on MDE Project Antibiotic resistance Makes available: Resources Financing: ~$50,000 Guidance from Dr. Tilley MDE: well established and important Large data pool Relevance / Viable Results Training Opportunity for summer work

Social and Scientific Context: 

Social and Scientific Context Clean Water Act compliance Why important? Need for preliminary survey of Maryland wetland health Help set up database Standardized wetland testing technique (rapid assessment) Bacterial antibiotic resistance Increasing concern

Literature Review Summary: 

Literature Review Summary Recent research shows wetlands can accumulate toxins Studies exploring possible wetland health indicators Plant coverage Surrounding land-use Bacteria Standard assessment methods

Literature Review Summary: 

Literature Review Summary Pharmaceuticals have been found in most waterways Levels are generally low, but the exact fate of these compounds is unknown Antibiotic usage very significant -”up to 90 percent” passes through unmetabolized Studies have found antibiotic resistant bacteria in waterways and wetlands

Literature Review Summary: 

Literature Review Summary Studies suggest looking at: Tetracycline Sulfonamides β-lactams Triclosan Disc diffusion method deemed reliable Previous research tends to focus more on presence of resistant bacteria and less on making correlations We know of no similar studies performed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Methodology: 

Methodology Assumptions Approach

Method: 

Method Data collection Hydrology Soils Vegetation Landscape Setting Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance Data analysis Disc diffusion Water quality

Validity and Trustworthiness: 

Validity and Trustworthiness Large data set Guidance from MDE and DNR EPA quality assurance Increases knowledge Leads to better public health

Timeline: 

Timeline April-May 2006: Prepare budget Identify sites Establish methods June-August 2006: Travel to various assigned wetlands and gather data. Fall 2006: Compile Data. Spring-Fall 07: Analyze Data. Analytical write-up. Produce charts and conclusions. Begin thesis.

Questions?Questions?Preguntas: 

Questions? Questions? Preguntas

What is a Wetland?: 

What is a Wetland? Tidal wetlands Wetlands below mean high tide (flooded daily) and influenced by tides and seasons, all owned by state Private wetlands Flooded less than daily Broken up by salinity levels, vegetation types, etc Seasonal wetlands Into freshwater forested areas Non-tidal Not influenced by tides seasonally, sufficient amount of water during growing season, dominant plants adopted

Overview : 

Overview WHAT-Developing a system for evaluating wetland healthy WHERE-Tidal Freshwater Wetlands: location still pending, North Bay? WHEN-Field season starts later this spring HOW-3 stages: broad landscape assessment; more detailed field methods; in depth biological and chemical analysis Core elements examined: hydrology, soils, vegetations, and landscape setting

Procedure: What We Will Do: 

Procedure: What We Will Do Compile literature to design sampling protocol for measured wetland nutrient levels Collect groundwater/samples for range of nutrient data Come up with a normal distribution for nutrient levels and develop criteria for classifying a ‘healthy’ wetlands Develop laboratory testing protocols and incorporate them into rapid assessment protocol

Why Is Rapid Assessment Important?: 

Why Is Rapid Assessment Important? Provide reliable, quantitative info on wetland status quickly Used for regulatory processes Assess wetland condition Determine project success Establish aquatic life standards Evaluate best management practices

Hydrology: 

Hydrology Hydroperiod Sources of Water Water Level Fluctuation Outlet Restriction Water Quality Hydrologic Alterations Flood Storage Potential Soil Type Soil Morphology Depth of A Horizon Microtopography Sediment Composition Soil Anoxia (Biogeochemical cycling) Soils

Vegetation: 

Vegetation Dominant Vegetation Number Vegetation classes Plant species diversity Degree of interspersion Number of Vegetation layers Dead woody debris Invasive species Habitat Value Human land use in buffer zone Wetland Size and Morphology Position of Wetland in Watershed Ratio of wetland to watershed Connectivity to other wetlands Land Use in Watershed Landscape Setting

Make it our own: 

Make it our own Our data and information will not only be used by MDE, but can also be used by us MDE both needs to and is very eager to work with us, as well as let us do our own ideas (remember, they have work with Gemstone before) This project could be combined with any of our other ideas Example: take measurements and collect data for MDE while also sampling the level of pharmaceuticals(antibiotics) in the wetlands and using Neil’s idea to find the level of resistance that the bacteria has formed