Marine Biology at Newport Harbor High School is not just a class where students are merely learning about marine biology, the class gives the students a chance to help out the environment. For approximately eight weeks students are given a specific area located somewhere in the vicinity of Newport Beach. In there area they have to collect samples of water for testing.
When testing their water they test for two types of bacteria, E.Coli and Ficocoli. E.Coli bacteria can be found in water, raw meat, and in humans intestinal track. Fecal contamination is the result of improperly treated human or agricultural waste, and poses a serious health hazard through drinking water and swimming areas such as Newport Beaches. These bacteria's can cause kidney failure and death among children or the elderly; but more commonly, astroenteric infections, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid fever, and cholera. The reason for such bacteria in the water is pollution.
Low-temperature electron micrograph of a cluster o...
Isolated bacteria - Micrococcus luteus
Official seal of City of Newport BeachThe reason for collection is not only to learn more knowledge of what is in the water that everyone in Newport Beach, drinks, swims, and plays in, but also to give information to a non-profit organization called The Surfrider Foundation. The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education. 26,000 members and 50 local chapters all through the United States represent Surfrider. Its many affiliations are throughout Australia, Japan, France, and Brazil. Surfrider is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological honesty of the coastal environment. Surfrider believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well being of the planet so even though is promotes conservation it also promotes the right to access the worlds most beautiful beaches because of education. Surfrider is a grassroots...