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Description:
Project Manager:
Christopher Sinigalliano
Project Years:
2017
2018
Project Summary:
The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has identified and expressed a critical need for improved capacity in the detection and tracking of Land-Based Sources of Pollution (LBSP) in the coastal waters and marine environments of CNMI to better protect the coral habitats of the region. One particular need is to address the capacity gap for the detection and tracking of LBSP microbial contaminants and fecal indicator bacteria that can negatively impact the health of coral communities in these critical marine habitats. The CNMI BECQ is in the process of further developing the molecular analytical capacity of its environmental monitoring laboratories for water quality assessment and LBSP contaminant tracking to better manage and protect the coral reefs and other critical marine resources of the CNMI. A variety of state-of-the-art molecular technologies and methodologies now exist for Molecular Microbial Source Tracking (MST) of LBSP-associated microbial contaminants in the marine environment. The NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is one of our nation’s federal laboratories that has been recognized for its expertise in such MST technologies and methods, and is engaged in the development, field-testing, validation, deployment, and technology transfer of such MST technologies. AOML has a on-going technology transfer program for water quality MST assays, to provide technology transfer training, resources, and on-going mentorship to other federal, state, and local agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and private industry to promote the availability of this technology more widely for use in the management and good stewardship of our nation’s marine resources. This project will focus on MST technology transfer training by NOAA AOML to the CNMI BECQ and other relevant academic and agency partners in CNMI. Personnel from NOAA AOML will travel to Saipan in the CNMI twice during a 1 year period to conduct two week-long intensive training workshops for the field and laboratory personnel of the CNMI BECQ and other relevant partners in CNMI. These workshops will include training in environmental sample collection, sample processing, sample preservation, and metagenomic eDNA extraction and purification for environmental samples intended to be analyzed for MST by both qPCR-based host-specific MST, and by next-generation-sequencing and SourceTracker sequencing analysis. The workshops will also include training in conducting actual qPCR-based MST analysis of samples on-site at CNMI, and give participants hands-on bench training on how to set up, conduct, analyze, and interpret MST analyses. Portions of these workshops will be presentation style intended for both science personnel and resource management personnel on the principles and applications of microbial source tracking and how it can be applied to management issues, and other portions of these workshops will be laboratory demonstrations and hands-on exercises for science personnel on the specific methodologies for conducting MST. These technology transfer activities will also involve AOML personnel consulting with and helping the CNMI BECQ lab personnel to specifically adapt their laboratory instrumentation and infrastructure to be able to conduct these type of MST analyses on their own, and to develop a customized MST protocol manual adapted for their use in CNMI based on the specific resources available at CNMI. The ultimate goal of this project is that by the end of this program, the CNMI BECQ will have adequate in-house training and capacity to collect and process samples for both qPCR MST studies of LBSP and for metagenomic next-generation-sequencing studies of LBSP, and that they will have the training necessary to conduct their own in-house MST studies of LBSP. This will prepare the CNMI to be able to participate in future larger-scale MST investigations of LBSP impacting human and ecosystem health (including coral reef health) in CNMI coastal waters. It will also help the CNMI BECQ to become a regional center of expertise in MST technology that can serve to train others and to provide MST analytical capacity for water quality and coral health issues throughout the region.
Expected Outcome:
Expected outcomes include: (1) Familiarization of BECQ staff, management, and other collaborative partners in Saipan with the principles, benefits, limitations, and resource requirements for molecular microbial source tracking to aid in assessment and tracking of exposures from land based sources of pollution (2) training of BECQ staff to proficiency in environmental sample collection, processing and DNA extraction for preparation of analysis-ready environmental DNA samples for q-PCR based molecular microbial tracking and for next-generation-sequencing applications (3) training of BECQ staff to proficiency in specific protocols for molecular microbial source tracking, including specific qPCR protocols for host-specific bacteria from human, dog, cow, pig, and bird fecal sources using multi-laboratory validated protocols. (4) Familiarization of BECQ staff with specific instrumentation, equipment, and supplies required for sample process and MST analysis. (5). Aid and guidance to BECQ on adapting their current instrumentation and resources for use with MST methods. (6) Development and establishment of BECQ as a regional resource for training and application of MST and other molecular methods. By the conclusion of the training, the CNMI BECQ should have the skills, analytical capacity, and appropriate customized protocols in place for them to conduct projects in-house utilizing molecular MST methods, and the ability to train others in the region for these methods.
Project Locations:
- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Project Category:
Land-based Sources of Pollution (LBSP)
Project Type:
Ongoing
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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