Fecal Microorganisms Inhabit Sandy Beaches Of Florida
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 07:21
in Biology & Nature
A study of Florida beaches has shown that wet sand and dry sand above the intertidal zone have significantly more fecal bacteria than near-shore seawater. Scientists researched whether indicator bacteria survive longer in sand relative to open water and found that all feces-derived bacteria were capable of enhanced growth and survival in sand, while in seawater the bacterial populations steadily decreased over time.