Inland Beach Monitoring Internship

Description: Project will consist of monitoring public beaches in Kent County for E. coli bacteria. This will include collecting water samples at various beaches, conducting sanitary surveys, preparing the samples for testing in the lab, generating sample results, and entering information into a state database.

Importance to Public Health: Tens of thousands of people visit Kent County public beaches throughout the summer. This project will monitor E. coli levels in the swimming areas and close swimming beaches if unsafe levels of E. coli are present. It will also help determine causes of elevated levels of bacteria and help predict when levels are likely to be high. The student will not only be helping to provide a public health service but will also learn laboratory and data collection techniques. Critical thinking skills will be developed when investigating potential sources of contamination.

Project Deliverables: student will be able to present information about E. coli levels in the water throughout the swimming season. This data can be used to help determine potential sources of contamination. The presentation will also be able determine if factors such as weather, temperature, waterfowl, and/or septic systems effect bacteria levels in the water. The student will present out about their internship experience at the KCHD Student Research Day.

Minimum Qualifications: Students applying for this internship must be enrolled in an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree program. Computer proficiency is required.