Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Colin Jackson
Second Advisor
Peter Zee
Third Advisor
Eden Tanner
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Coastal environments host diverse microbial communities that play essential ecological roles but may also serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study investigated patterns of antibiotic resistance in microbial isolates collected from public beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A total of 143 bacterial isolates exhibited growth and were included in antibiotic susceptibility screening. High levels of antibiotic resistance were observed, with 137 of 143 isolates showing growth on vancomycin, 124 on amoxicillin, and 102 on erythromycin. Resistance to kanamycin (19/143 isolates) and tetracycline (33/143) was less common. Multidrug resistance was widespread, with 101 isolates (70.6%) resistant to three or more different antibiotics. 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed 97 of the isolates to be identified. The majority of isolates belonged to the bacterial genera Pseudomonas (36/97), Vibrio (18/97), Shewanella (7/97), and Aeromonas (4/97), which can include species that are potential human pathogens. These findings demonstrate that coastal environments harbor bacterial populations that can show substantial antibiotic resistance and highlight the potential role of beaches as reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Recommended Citation
Horn, Lawler F., "Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Bacterial Isolates from Mississippi Gulf Coastal Environments" (2026). Honors Theses. 3560.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3560
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