Microbiological Coastal Risks and Monitoring Systems - Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystems and Adaptation - page 95

3

Microbiological Coastal Risks
and Monitoring Systems

3.1. Introduction

Coastal zones have been inhabited by people for a long time, and
today the majority of towns are situated in coastal zones. Marine-
coastal waters receive enormous quantities of water, both used and
polluted through industrial and agricultural activities. Local
environmental dynamics can become global as the phenomena
resulting from climate change show. As we will see later in this
chapter, the physico-chemical modifications of parameters, whether
they are due to the evolution of the climate or to the behavior of
people toward their environment, can have consequences on the
presence and development of pathogenic agents (viruses, bacteria and
parasites) or their vectors in aquatic environments, on a regional as
well as on a global scale [BAU 04].

The marine environment contains numerous indigenous
microorganisms, including pathogens for marine organisms. Some of
these microorganisms can also be pathogenic for humans. Other
microorganisms pathogenic to humans are excreted in feces and are
introduced into marine environments through treated or untreated
waste water emissions.