, Fla. — University of Florida researchers are working on an AI-enabled tool that could help predict when coastal waters may become risky because of flesh-eating bacteria.
The project is supported by a $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
UF researchers are collaborating with the University of Maryland to develop a warning system for pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, which are naturally found in warm coastal waters.
Some species of Vibrio can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening infections. People can be exposed by eating contaminated seafood or by getting seawater in an open wound.
Researchers said the bacteria’s growth and spread are tied to environmental conditions, including sea surface temperature, salinity, nutrient availability and ecological disturbances.
The project will develop VIGOR, which stands for Vibrio Infection Genomics for Outbreak Risk Forecasting.
Researchers said the AI-enabled, satellite-based platform is designed to identify environmental conditions linked to higher risk of Vibrio exposure, especially during and after algal blooms, hurricanes and flooding.
The team hopes the tool will eventually be able to project risky water conditions three to four weeks in advance.
The forecasting platform will use satellite data, water quality measurements, microbial genomic sequencing and machine learning.
Researchers said the long-term goal is to create a real-time public health information platform that can provide science-based alerts and water quality information to government agencies and the public.
“Our goal is to increase public awareness of emerging environmental risks and provide people with the information they need to make informed decisions,” UF researcher Antarpreet Jutla said.
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