Muruleedhara N Byappanahalli, PhD, is a Research Microbiologist based in Chesterton, IN.
Murulee Byappanahalli, Ph. D. is a Research Microbiologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center. He received his MS and Ph. D. degrees in Microbiology from theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa. His research interests include microbial ecology, soil microbiology, and water quality and public health microbiology. He is the team leader for microbiology program in his research group. He has published extensively on the ecology of indicator bacteria (E. coli, enterococci) in natural environments, such as soils and sediments, beach sand, and aquatic vegetation. His research was among the first to document the natural occurrence, persistence, and growth of indicator bacteria in nonenteric habitats. Byappanahalli’s other research interests include exploring gene-based (molecular) techniques for identifying sewage markers in environmental waters. He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology and Society for Applied Microbiology. He has adjunct faculty positions at Purdue University (North Central) and Indiana University (Northwest).
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Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 63
Microbial source tracking and evaluation of best management practices for restoring degraded beaches of Lake Michigan
Attempts to mitigate shoreline microbial contamination require a thorough understanding of pollutant sources, which often requires multiple years of data collection (e.g., point/nonpoint) and the interacting factors that influence water quality. Because restoration efforts can alter shoreline or beach morphology, revisiting source inputs is often necessary. Microbial source tracking (MST) using so
Gut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages
Sea lamprey (SL; Petromyzon marinus), one of the oldest living vertebrates, have a complex metamorphic life cycle. Following hatching, SL transition into a microphagous, sediment burrowing larval stage, and after 2–10+ years, the larvae undergo a dramatic metamorphosis, transforming into parasitic juveniles that feed on blood and bodily fluids of fishes; adult lamprey cease feeding, spawn, and die
Influence of filter pore size on composition and relative abundance of bacterial communities and select host-specific MST markers in coastal waters of southern Lake Michigan
Water clarity is often the primary guiding factor in determining whether a prefiltration step is needed to increase volumes processed for a range of microbial endpoints. In this study, we evaluate the effect of filter pore size on the bacterial communities detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and incidence of two host-specific microbial source tracking (MST) markers in a range of coastal waters fr
Quantifying microplastics in Indiana’s Lake Michigan watershed and submerged aquatic vegetation
Environmental breakdown of plastics produces synthetic microfibers, a class of microplastics that are most prevalent in surface waters. A main source of these pollutants is wastewater treatment plants which discharge into surface waters, including those that flow into Lake Michigan. Microplastics can settle into aquatic sediment or exist for lengths of time in the swash zone of the lakes; they can
Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Daunting amounts of microplastics are present in surface waters worldwide. A main category of microplastics is synthetic microfibers, which originate from textiles. These microplastics are generated and released in laundering and are discharged by wastewater treatment plants or enter surface waters from other sources. The polymers that constitute many common synthetic microfibers are mostly denser
Influence of sediment and stream transport on detecting a source of environmental DNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used for early detection, population estimations, and assessment of potential spread of invasive species, but questions remain about factors that influence eDNA detection results. Efforts are being made to understand how physical, chemical, and biological factors—settling, resuspension, dispersion, eDNA stability/decay—influence eDNA estimations and potentially popu
Evaluating the impacts of foreshore sand and birds on microbiological contamination at a freshwater beach
Beaches along the Great Lakes shorelines are important recreational and economic resources. However, contamination at the beaches can threaten their usage during the swimming season, potentially resulting in beach closures and/or advisories. Thus, understanding the dynamics that control nearshore water quality is integral to effective beach management. There have been significant improvements in t
Utilization of multiple microbial tools to evaluate efficacy of restoration strategies to improve recreational water quality at a Lake Michigan Beach (Racine, WI)
Hydro-meteorological conditions facilitate transport of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to the nearshore environment, affecting recreational water quality. North Beach (Racine, Wisconsin, United States), is an exemplar public beach site along Lake Michigan, where precipitation-mediated surface runoff, wave encroachment, stormwater and tributary outflow were demonstrated to contribute to beach advis
Interaction of bacterial communities and indicators of water quality in shoreline sand, sediment, and water of Lake Michigan
Shoreline sand harbors high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) that may be resuspended into the water column through washing and resuspension. Studies have explored coastal processes that influence this sand-water flux for FIB, but little is known about how microbial markers of contamination or the bacterial community interact in the sand-water interface. In this study, we take a thr
Real-time water quality monitoring at a Great Lakes National Park
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used by the USEPA to establish new recreational water quality criteria in 2012 using the indicator bacteria enterococci. The application of this method has been limited, but resource managers are interested in more timely monitoring results. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of qPCR as a rapid, alternative method to the time-consuming membra
Identifying and eliminating sources of recreational water quality degradation along an urban coast
Restoration of highly degraded urban coastal waters often requires large-scale, complex projects, but in the interim, smaller-scale efforts can provide immediate improvements to water quality conditions for visitor use. We examined short-term efforts to improve recreational water quality near the Grand Calumet River (GC) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Identified as an Area of Concern (AOC) by the
Environmental DNA (eDNA): A tool for quantifying the abundant but elusive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring, occupancy estimates, and real-time detections of invasive species. In the Great Lakes, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an invasive benthic fish from the Black Sea, has spread to encompass all five lakes and many tributaries, outcompeting or consuming native species; however, estimates of round goby abundance are confound
Non-USGS Publications**
Fujioka, R.S., Byappanahalli, M.N., 2001. Microbial ecology controls the establishment of fecal bacteria in tropical soil environment. In Advances in Water and Wastewater Treatment Technology: Molecular Technology, Nutrient Removal, Sludge Reduction and Environmental Health. Matsuo, T., Hanaki, K., Takizawa, S., Satoh, H. (eds.). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier, pp. 273-283.
Byappanahalli, M.N., Fujioka, R.S., 1998. Evidence that tropical soil environment can support the growth of Escherichia coli. Water Sci. Technol. 38, 171-174.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Data releases by this scientist
Environmental DNA detection and survival, influence of sediment, and stream transport in a Lake Michigan watershed, 2018
The data released are associated with an examination of eDNA from round goby fish (Neogobius melanostomus) in a series of field sample collections (lake nearshore and stream transport) and in vitro laboratory experiments. The round goby was used as a model for our source of eDNA in the field collections and mesocosm experiments. The field samples for lake nearshore (water and sediment) were collec
Identify sources of high E. coli concentrations, beaches of southern Lake Michigan, 2015, (version 2.0, July 2020)
Data were collected as part of a study to identify sources of E. coli contamination at several beaches located in the Grand Calumet River Areas of Concern, located in northern Indiana on Lake Michigan. Water samples were collected at each site (Jeorse Park 1, Jeorse Park 2, Hammond East, Hammond West, Whihala East, and the Grand Calumet River) three times a week for thirteen weeks and analyzed for
Microbial communities and bacterial indicators for shoreline sand, sediment, and water in Racine, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; and East Chicago, Indiana; 2016-2017
The data associated with the following data release were collected between 2016 and 2017 at three locations on Lake Michigan: Racine, WI; Chicago, IL; and East Chicago, IN. Individual water samples were collected one day a week for ten weeks between June and August. Samples were collected from eight specific sites made up of two river and six shoreline type environments. Sampling was completed at
Quantification of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (targeting nifH gene) in Cladophora algae by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)
Data were collected to determine the abundance of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in Cladophora algae growing on rocks, breakwall structures, or submerged dreissenid mussel beds around southern Lake Michigan. Cladophora samples (N=33) were collected between June and September 2015 from three urban areas: (a) Jeorse Park, East Chicago, Indiana, (b) Calumet Beach, Chicago, Illinois, and (c) North Bea
16S rRNA gene sequencing and E. coli for shorelines and the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, 2015
Data were collected in August and September 2015 for analysis of bacteria communities of the Grand Calumet River and associated shorelines. Water samples were collected on three occasions corresponding to one rain-related (wet) events and two non-rain (dry) events. Water samples were collected in the Grand Calumet River, at the mouth of the river, at offshore locations around the peninsular impoun
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR): An alternative, rapid water quality monitoring tool at a National Park on Lake Michigan.
Data were collected to evaluate the efficacy of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a rapid, alternative method for monitoring recreational water at select beaches and rivers of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE), in Empire, Michigan. Water samples were collected between August 4 and September 18, 2014 (N=297) from four locations (Esch Rd, Otter Creek, Platte Bay, and Platt
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Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 63Microbial source tracking and evaluation of best management practices for restoring degraded beaches of Lake Michigan
Attempts to mitigate shoreline microbial contamination require a thorough understanding of pollutant sources, which often requires multiple years of data collection (e.g., point/nonpoint) and the interacting factors that influence water quality. Because restoration efforts can alter shoreline or beach morphology, revisiting source inputs is often necessary. Microbial source tracking (MST) using soGut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages
Sea lamprey (SL; Petromyzon marinus), one of the oldest living vertebrates, have a complex metamorphic life cycle. Following hatching, SL transition into a microphagous, sediment burrowing larval stage, and after 2–10+ years, the larvae undergo a dramatic metamorphosis, transforming into parasitic juveniles that feed on blood and bodily fluids of fishes; adult lamprey cease feeding, spawn, and dieInfluence of filter pore size on composition and relative abundance of bacterial communities and select host-specific MST markers in coastal waters of southern Lake Michigan
Water clarity is often the primary guiding factor in determining whether a prefiltration step is needed to increase volumes processed for a range of microbial endpoints. In this study, we evaluate the effect of filter pore size on the bacterial communities detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and incidence of two host-specific microbial source tracking (MST) markers in a range of coastal waters frQuantifying microplastics in Indiana’s Lake Michigan watershed and submerged aquatic vegetation
Environmental breakdown of plastics produces synthetic microfibers, a class of microplastics that are most prevalent in surface waters. A main source of these pollutants is wastewater treatment plants which discharge into surface waters, including those that flow into Lake Michigan. Microplastics can settle into aquatic sediment or exist for lengths of time in the swash zone of the lakes; they canSequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Daunting amounts of microplastics are present in surface waters worldwide. A main category of microplastics is synthetic microfibers, which originate from textiles. These microplastics are generated and released in laundering and are discharged by wastewater treatment plants or enter surface waters from other sources. The polymers that constitute many common synthetic microfibers are mostly denserInfluence of sediment and stream transport on detecting a source of environmental DNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used for early detection, population estimations, and assessment of potential spread of invasive species, but questions remain about factors that influence eDNA detection results. Efforts are being made to understand how physical, chemical, and biological factors—settling, resuspension, dispersion, eDNA stability/decay—influence eDNA estimations and potentially popuEvaluating the impacts of foreshore sand and birds on microbiological contamination at a freshwater beach
Beaches along the Great Lakes shorelines are important recreational and economic resources. However, contamination at the beaches can threaten their usage during the swimming season, potentially resulting in beach closures and/or advisories. Thus, understanding the dynamics that control nearshore water quality is integral to effective beach management. There have been significant improvements in tUtilization of multiple microbial tools to evaluate efficacy of restoration strategies to improve recreational water quality at a Lake Michigan Beach (Racine, WI)
Hydro-meteorological conditions facilitate transport of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to the nearshore environment, affecting recreational water quality. North Beach (Racine, Wisconsin, United States), is an exemplar public beach site along Lake Michigan, where precipitation-mediated surface runoff, wave encroachment, stormwater and tributary outflow were demonstrated to contribute to beach advisInteraction of bacterial communities and indicators of water quality in shoreline sand, sediment, and water of Lake Michigan
Shoreline sand harbors high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) that may be resuspended into the water column through washing and resuspension. Studies have explored coastal processes that influence this sand-water flux for FIB, but little is known about how microbial markers of contamination or the bacterial community interact in the sand-water interface. In this study, we take a thrReal-time water quality monitoring at a Great Lakes National Park
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used by the USEPA to establish new recreational water quality criteria in 2012 using the indicator bacteria enterococci. The application of this method has been limited, but resource managers are interested in more timely monitoring results. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of qPCR as a rapid, alternative method to the time-consuming membraIdentifying and eliminating sources of recreational water quality degradation along an urban coast
Restoration of highly degraded urban coastal waters often requires large-scale, complex projects, but in the interim, smaller-scale efforts can provide immediate improvements to water quality conditions for visitor use. We examined short-term efforts to improve recreational water quality near the Grand Calumet River (GC) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Identified as an Area of Concern (AOC) by theEnvironmental DNA (eDNA): A tool for quantifying the abundant but elusive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring, occupancy estimates, and real-time detections of invasive species. In the Great Lakes, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an invasive benthic fish from the Black Sea, has spread to encompass all five lakes and many tributaries, outcompeting or consuming native species; however, estimates of round goby abundance are confoundNon-USGS Publications**
Fujioka, R.S., Byappanahalli, M.N., 2001. Microbial ecology controls the establishment of fecal bacteria in tropical soil environment. In Advances in Water and Wastewater Treatment Technology: Molecular Technology, Nutrient Removal, Sludge Reduction and Environmental Health. Matsuo, T., Hanaki, K., Takizawa, S., Satoh, H. (eds.). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier, pp. 273-283.Byappanahalli, M.N., Fujioka, R.S., 1998. Evidence that tropical soil environment can support the growth of Escherichia coli. Water Sci. Technol. 38, 171-174.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Data releases by this scientist
Environmental DNA detection and survival, influence of sediment, and stream transport in a Lake Michigan watershed, 2018
The data released are associated with an examination of eDNA from round goby fish (Neogobius melanostomus) in a series of field sample collections (lake nearshore and stream transport) and in vitro laboratory experiments. The round goby was used as a model for our source of eDNA in the field collections and mesocosm experiments. The field samples for lake nearshore (water and sediment) were collecIdentify sources of high E. coli concentrations, beaches of southern Lake Michigan, 2015, (version 2.0, July 2020)
Data were collected as part of a study to identify sources of E. coli contamination at several beaches located in the Grand Calumet River Areas of Concern, located in northern Indiana on Lake Michigan. Water samples were collected at each site (Jeorse Park 1, Jeorse Park 2, Hammond East, Hammond West, Whihala East, and the Grand Calumet River) three times a week for thirteen weeks and analyzed forMicrobial communities and bacterial indicators for shoreline sand, sediment, and water in Racine, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; and East Chicago, Indiana; 2016-2017
The data associated with the following data release were collected between 2016 and 2017 at three locations on Lake Michigan: Racine, WI; Chicago, IL; and East Chicago, IN. Individual water samples were collected one day a week for ten weeks between June and August. Samples were collected from eight specific sites made up of two river and six shoreline type environments. Sampling was completed atQuantification of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (targeting nifH gene) in Cladophora algae by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)
Data were collected to determine the abundance of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in Cladophora algae growing on rocks, breakwall structures, or submerged dreissenid mussel beds around southern Lake Michigan. Cladophora samples (N=33) were collected between June and September 2015 from three urban areas: (a) Jeorse Park, East Chicago, Indiana, (b) Calumet Beach, Chicago, Illinois, and (c) North Bea16S rRNA gene sequencing and E. coli for shorelines and the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, 2015
Data were collected in August and September 2015 for analysis of bacteria communities of the Grand Calumet River and associated shorelines. Water samples were collected on three occasions corresponding to one rain-related (wet) events and two non-rain (dry) events. Water samples were collected in the Grand Calumet River, at the mouth of the river, at offshore locations around the peninsular impounQuantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR): An alternative, rapid water quality monitoring tool at a National Park on Lake Michigan.
Data were collected to evaluate the efficacy of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a rapid, alternative method for monitoring recreational water at select beaches and rivers of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE), in Empire, Michigan. Water samples were collected between August 4 and September 18, 2014 (N=297) from four locations (Esch Rd, Otter Creek, Platte Bay, and Platt - Multimedia
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