General Water Quality
Photo Credit: CINAPS
Water pollution problems in the Los Angles region can be severe. Not only is public health at risk but also the health of marine ecosystems because intense urban development, runoff from streets and surfaces transports untreated contaminants directly into the ocean severely impacting the health of the near shore and coastal ecosystem. In addition, the Southern California region has one of the largest sewage effluent systems in the country contributing more than 1 billion gallons of treated wastewater to the ocean daily. USC Sea Grant funded research has over the last decade examined both the contents and the fate of the urban runoff plumes in local coastal waters, and developed unique technology and partnerships to track these plumes along the coastline. Other research has focused on developing new and rapid methods to test for enteroviruses in coastal water to facilitate public safety managers.
Research and Outreach Projects
- High Resolution Remote Sensing of Coastal Discharge Plumes and Algal Blooms in The Southern California Bight (Jones, Fuhrman)
- Stormwater, Pathogens, and Particles – Presence and Transport from an Urban Watershed (Jones, Fuhrman)
- Quantifying Pollutant Loading in an Urban Waterway Using Passive In Situ Samplers (Maruya, Adams)
- California's Coastal Zone Management Program: Retaining Agricultural Land In The Face Of Urban Growth (Osherenko, Clarke)
- Factors Affecting Dispersion Of Pathogenic Microorganisms In Coastal Waters (Jones, Fuhrman)
- Evaluating The Impact Of The Clean Water Act On Coastal Waters off The Southern CA Bight: Temporal & Spatial Gradients in Metal Contamination in the Water Column & in Phytoplankton (Sanudo, Wilhelmy)
- The Effects of Urban Storm water Runoff on Phytoplankton Dynamics in Santa Monica Bay (Shipe)
- The California Water and Land Use Partnership (CA WALUP)
- Plastic Marine Debris Report in Partnership with California Ocean Science Trust
Related Links
- Urban Mariner. "Is it Safe to Swim." May 2009, Volume 1, Number 1
- OEHHA (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment)
- RWQCB (Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board)
- SWRCB (State Water Resources Control Board)
- UC Davis Extension - Land Use and Natural Resource Program
- California Coastal Commission
- California EPA
- National NEMO Network
Funding Opportunities
Click here to learn about funding opportunities through USC Sea Grant.For more information
seagrant@usc.edu(213) 740-1961
National Focus Area
Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
