Oyster Photo credit: Texas Parks and 

Wildlife Division

Priority Issues: Water Quality

Water Quality 

Priorities for Healthy Beaches and Seafood

To help ensure healthy beaches and safe seafood in our coastal 

areas, the Alliance has identified four water quality priorities that 

will guide the partnership’s efforts: (1) reducing risk of exposure 

to disease-causing pathogens, (2) minimizing occurrence and 

effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs), (3) identifying sources of 

mercury in Gulf seafood, and (4) improving monitoring of Gulf 

water resources. These issues are far-reaching and are best 

addressed through regional-scale efforts such as the Alliance.

Long-term Goals

Develop a monitoring network that identifies the sources of 

pathogens and their impacts

◦

Implement a HAB tracking and forecasting system that supports the reduction or elimination of 

blooms and can be used to minimize the negative effects

◦

◦ Reduce the risk of mercury-induced health effects from Gulf seafood consumption

Develop a monitoring network that provides vital information about the status and trends of Gulf 

water quality

◦

ACTIONS

Water Quality 1: Pathogens

Action: Improve the understanding of waterborne, disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens), 

including their sources and survival so that coastal managers can make informed decisions that benefit 

public health and coastal economies.

Expected Results:

◦ Revised microbial contamination indicators lead to increased beach protection from pathogens. 

Improved data is accessible for time-critical decision making (e.g., issuance of public beach 

advisories).

◦

◦ State health departments are active, collaborating partners of the Alliance.

Water Quality 2: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Action: Reduce the effects of HABs by improving our ability to detect, track, forecast, and mitigate 

HAB movement and their effects along the Gulf Coast.

Expected Results:

Citizens have enhanced knowledge about human health and ecosystem impacts from HABs, 

including the significance of ballast water introductions of new species.

◦

Coordinated operational systems regularly detect, track, and forecast HAB movements through 

the Gulf.

◦

◦ Methods and training that help prevent, control, and mitigate HABs are improved.

Water Quality 3: Mercury in Seafood

Action: Identify sources of mercury in Gulf fishery resources, understand its presence in the Gulf food 

web, and develop the ability to reduce the human health risk of exposure. 

Expected Results:

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Mustang Island Photo credit: Texas 

Parks and Wildlife Division

Health risks are reduced by determining primary sources, predicting effects, and communicating 

information early concerning Gulf Seafood consumption to public health advisory groups.

◦

Gulf citizens have an increased awareness and understanding of the mechanism by which 

mercury enters the food chain and accumulates in fish.

◦

Water Quality 3: Monitoring

Action: Obtain and provide vital information about the conditions of Gulf waters to support better 

management decisions regarding coastal fisheries, recreation, tourism, public health, and infrastructure 

planning.

Expected Results:

◦ Data collected from around the Gulf is of known and comparable quality.

Increased public awareness and cost savings to monitoring programs are the results of access to 

and use of existing water quality information.

◦

Collaboration and cooperation among agencies and organizations performing water quality 

monitoring are increased.

◦

New data dissemination tools are developed to access and interpret water quality data and 

models.

◦

Highlights of Governors’ Action Plan Accomplishments

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) detection and forecasting in the Gulf of 

Mexico

The HAB Forecasting System provided by NOAA supplies 

information on the location, extent, and potential for development 

or movement of harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS)

HABSOS is a regional, Web-based data and information 

dissemination tool. This Web site provides a secure data entry tool 

for collection of cell count observations of the algal species 

Karenia brevis.

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