Emerging microbial contaminants in the ocean

Urbanization and land-based human activity along the coast could introduce pollutants that deteriorate water quality and alter the marine ecosystem. This chapter focuses on sources of anthropogenically induced microbial contamination introduced from wastewater discharge, ballast water discharge, aquaculture activities, plastic debris, and its impact on the marine environment and human health.Waste-borne bacteria and viruses of human and animal origin, disease-causing pathogens in aquaculture, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic-resistant (ARGs) are microbial contaminants of public health concern. The sources, dissemination, and detection are discussed within the context of the marine environment. Currently, there are established microbial water quality guidelines available to assess the safety of recreational waters. However, a holistic understanding of microbial contaminants through data- or process-driven models that incorporate hydrodynamics, topography, meteorological information, physical- and chemical water quality data could enable more accurate assessments of fate and transport, particularly with unprecedented scenarios of climate change.