Abstract
Biscayne Bay is ecologically significant as it supports both a variety of wildlife and heavy recreational use by locals and tourists. Due to what some would call over-development, a growing part of the bay has been negatively impacted and may, in the future, prove unsustainable. One key indicator of the magnitude of negative impact on the area is the frequency of exceedances of enterococci levels (as determined by EPA and Florida Department of Health thresholds) throughout the bay’s watershed. This study’s objective is to identify if these exceedances have a seasonal correlation (Wet season vs. Dry season). Twelve sites in the Miami area and ten sites from the North Beach area were tested for enterococci levels while site observations were recorded. This data can be used for potential new policies to help control the increase of these enterococci levels during times of frequent exceedances to keep locals and tourists safe while enjoying the beautiful waterways South Florida has to offer. In the study, we found that there were significant differences between MPN values during the different seasons and they are correlated. We found that the season has a significant effect on the MPN average as the average MPN in the wet season 158±16 and 96±16 in the dry season.