Beach Monitoring Program
In the Summer of 1997, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory started working in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to assess the bathing beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Since that time, the program has grown into a year-round operation to monitor bacterial water quality. Samples are collected from eighteen stations from the Mississippi-Louisiana state line to the Mississippi-Alabama state line. During the "summer" months of March through the end of October, the sampling regime is rigorous (4-5 days per week). During "winter" months of November through the end of February the sampling is less intense (2-4 days per week). Average samples taken are 140 samples per month during the summer months, and 100 samples per month during the winter months. The water is tested for fecal coliform, Eschericia coli , and enterococci. The Mississippi DEQ and the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Task Force use all data to manage beach water quality issues. (GCRL provides field and analytical support only. GCRL is NOT associated with management decisions regarding beach closure.)
