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Description:
Project Manager:
Cheryl Woodley
Project Years:
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Project Summary:
In 2018, the Florida Keys NMS issued a Decision Memo and Environmental Compliance for activities to address the South Florida coral disease emergency response. Antibiotic treatments were addressed in the emergency permitting decision memo based on information in the available literature and expert opinions for their determination that minor and short-term impacts could occur to water quality, but because of the delivery vehicle being used was unlikely. As the height of the emergency circumstances has declined, NOAA needs data to be able to reassess their emergency actions and determine if their assessment of negligible effects was correct and conforms to environmental regulatory requirements, or should be modified. This project is intended to address some of these data gaps.This proposal has been developed in consultation with NMFS' OPR (Section 7 consultations), FKNMS (permitting) and CRCP (PEIS) regarding therapeutic treatments. The goal of consulting with these offices was to understand more precisely the information they needed to make decisions so that experiments could be aligned as closely as possible so that results were directly applicable to those needs. Information needs resulting from these discussions were: 1) whether the use of antibiotics affects ESA species adversely, 2) if antibiotic resistance occurs in ESA coral undergoing treatment for SCTLD and its duration, 3) what are antibiotic background levels in the water of treatment areas, and 4) what is the leach rate and breakdown products of the antibiotic in the lab and under field conditions. FY24-26 project activities are proposed as a continuation of this work and builds on understanding the toxicity of amoxicillin across a species distribution. In a recent review, Sharma et al. [2021] the authors summarize the toxic effects of a wide range of antibiotics, including amoxicillin, and the unintended effects of these pharmaceuticals on autotrophic microorganisms, particularly marine microalgae. Surprisingly amoxicillin is among four other types of antimicrobials that are on the EU Watch List of emerging pollutants. In addition to the antibacterial action of amoxicillin, adverse effects have been observed on autotrophic microbes, warranting further investigation into effects of amoxicillin on coral symbiotic algae. Cyanobacteria, Microcystin aeruginosa, was shown to respond to low, sublethal concentrations that promoted growth and stimulated microcystin synthesis and promote cyanobacterial blooms. In studies of other cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp., photosynthetic machinery was impaired. Studies such as these argue for further investigation into the potential unintended consequences that may occur if amoxicillin reaches a certain threshold in the environment. We propose to conduct field and laboratory studies to address knowledge gaps related to the effects of amoxicillin on marine invertebrate and microorganisms.Objectives:1. Determine environmental concentrations of amoxicillin and its breakdown products in sediment and water samples adjacent to coral colonies receiving amoxicillin treatment along a temporal gradient.2. Conduct dose-response exposures of coral larvae and the effects on survival and settlement at ambient and elevated temperatures. Preliminary data for Acropora cervicornis indicates elevated levels of amoxicillin interferes with larval settlement.3. Conduct dose-response exposures with cultivated coral symbiont species to determine species sensitivities.4. Conduct dose-response exposures with microalgal species associated with reef environments as well as potential toxin producing cyanobacteria.5. Conduct a series of experiments to evaluate potential effects of bacterial communities in the sediment involved in nutrient cycling dysregulation.
Expected Outcome:
Results are expected to inform analyses required for environmental compliance with various statutes (e.g., NEPA, ESA, Magnuson, etc.). Such analyses are required for federal actions, and existing data are insufficient. A conclusive effects analysis will position CRCP to support future disease treatment projects without being encumbered by administrative delays because environmental compliance could be completed programmatically if these data are available.
Project Locations:
Project Category:
Restoration
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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