Search

To determine whether abundance and diversity of fungal species differed among very low use, residential, and commercial beaches and whether human use had a measurable effect on sand fungi, samples were collected for two consecutive years from South Carolina beaches along a continuum of human use. For both years, more fungi (colony- forming units [CFUs] per gram dry weight sand) were isolated from high-use beach sand samples than low-use beach sand samples (analysis of variance, p < 0.05), but there was no evidence of accumulation of fungi over a tourist season or from year to year. In fact, fungal abundance was greatest for all three sites in May and July and significantly decreased in September. A positive correlation was found between census of beach-goers and fungal CFUs. Potential pathogens (fungi which grew at 37DC) were selected, and DNA-based sequence identifications were made. These included two potential human pathogens-one of which was found on commercial beaches only. Sand grain size and color ranged from smallest/whitest in samples from very low use beaches to largest/darkest in those from higher use beaches, suggesting that relative oxygen, mineral, or nutrient content or extent of absorptive surface might also affect fungal niche occupancy. These data suggest that a mixture of parameters influence abundance and diversity of beach fungi, but that level of human use is one significant factor. The absence of year-to-year accumulation of fungi is a novel observation. This study adds to the growing number of reports of beach sand as a reservoir of fungal and other nonbacterial organisms that can affect human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]