The terrestrial-marine connection of fecal pollution: examining land use impacts and indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp

From this study we have learned that: 1) LCLU impacts on MW are season, scale and species dependent, 2) currently used indicators (FW EC and MW ENT) make it difficult to examine the link between marine and terrestrial systems in regards to fecal pollution and 3) neither EC nor ENT is ideal for monitoring fecal pollution due to survival and growth in the environment. In order to better understand how nearshore marine water quality is affected by adjacent terrestrial systems, it is imperative that a universal indicator of fecal pollution be identified which can be used in both marine and freshwaters.