MBL | Biological Discovery in Woods Hole Contact UsDirectionsText SizeSmallMediumLarge

Resources for Reporters:

MBL Publications:

Join the Conversation:
Facebook Twitter Youtube Wordpress

Nobel Laureates


press releases


For further information, contact the MBL Communications Office at (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at comm@mbl.edu

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2007
Contact: Gina Hebert, MBL, 508-289-7725; ghebert@mbl.edu

Study Finds High Levels of Fecal Microbes in New Orleans Sediments Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

MBL, WOODS HOLE, MA—In a new study documenting the microbial landscape of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scientists report that sediments in interior portions of the city appear to be contaminated with fecal microbes, a chronic condition they say persisted in the area before the hurricanes, and that the resulting water quality in the city and in nearshore waters of the lake continues to be impacted by discharges from this contamination. More >>>


Resources

PNAS ARTICLE ##06-10552: Impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the microbial landscape of the New Orleans area by C. D. Sinigalliano, M. L. Gidley, T. Shibata, D. Whitman, T. H. Dixon, E. Laws, A. Hou, D. Bachoon, L. Brand, L. Amaral-Zettler, R. J. Gast, G. F. Steward, O. D. Nigro, R. Fujioka, W. Q. Betancourt, G. Vithanage, J. Mathews, L. E. Fleming, and H. M. Solo-Gabriele

For full text of the paper, media can contact the PNAS press office, PNASnews@nas.edu or Gina Hebert, ghebert@mbl.edu

MBL Paper Authors:
Linda Amaral Zettler,
Assistant Research Scientist

Images:
Please click on thumbnails for high-resolution images

sampling Lake Pontchartain
MBL Assistant Research Scientist Linda Amaral Zettler (right) and Research Assistant Jennifer Rocca (left) collect samples in Mount Hope Bay, MA. Photo credit: Erik R. Zettler Satellite Image of Lake Pontchartrain. Photo credit: Louisiana State University

Additional Background:


Funders: