Developing Fragile Environments in an Undeveloped Healthcare Society
Undergraduate: Bryan Nixon
Faculty Advisor: Brian Hogan
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Surface level water supplies in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama showed significantly higher fecal bacteria contamination than rain catchment or filtered systems, and common community surface level water supplies were utilized by households for cooking, cleaning, and bathing, in addition to drinking. The potential long-term effects of exposure to such contaminants, as well as the risk for novel pathogen exposure in such communities through these water sources, requires further investigation. Other environmental metrics showed varying amounts of human impact. Trash and non-degradable human waste accumulated more acutely within mangrove systems located near villages than isolated environments, although this was not the only factor correlated to the mangrove trees¿¿¿ health. Within a section of the archipelago, the sites along popular motorized boat travel paths possessed lower coral reef diversity and higher bleaching incidents, but preliminary sampling also indicates the potential for more generalized coral reef degradation throughout the region. Further analysis of the link between direct human activity and specific environmentals is necessary to understand the mechanism of environmental degradation and its specific risks on local communities.