Introduction

MAREK KIRSAssociate Researcher (page 2)

MAREK KIRSAssociate Researcher (page 2)

Marek Kirs
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We all care about the water quality as our life is dependent on it…

We all care about the water quality as our life is dependent on it—we drink water every day and enjoy the beach when the weather and microbial levels permit. My fascination with water environments and essentially all forms of life started as a freshman in high school. Although I didn’t truly know what the difference between macroalgae and macrophytes was at that time—the underwater world was just overwhelmingly beautiful. I felt the need to protect and share it. That was the beginning of a long and fulfilling academic journey, with some great mentors, into the fascinating realm of microbes. My current research is expansive, from groundwater to surface water environments, with an overarching goal to improve our water quality management programs and public health outcomes in Hawaii and other tropical environments

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EDUCATION 

  • BS, Tartu University (Estonia) 
  • MS, University of Edinburgh (UK) 
  • PhD, University of Rhode Island 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE 

  • Water quality standards 
  • Microbial source tracking 
  • Microbiological methods 

CURRENT PROJECTS 

  • Fecal indicators and associated health risk in Hawaii’s recreational waters: A quantitative microbial risk assessment study 
  • Fecal Indicators and their associated health risk in American Samoa’s watersheds 
  • Microbiological water quality of Oahu beaches 

 

 

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Evaluation of Portable Multi-use Automated Concentration System (PMACS) for the analysis of indicator bacteria and microbial source tracking markers in Hawaii

SPONSOR: National Institute for Water Resources, Water Resources Research Institute Program PROJECT PERIOD: 03/01/2014-02/29/2016 ABSTRACT: Problem and Research Objectives Problem I: Distribution of microorganisms in beach water and sand is patchy. It is well established that distribution of microbes in…

Rainwater Harvesting in American Samoa: Current Practices and Health Risks

SPONSOR:National Institute for Water Resources, Water Resources Research Institute Program PROJECT PERIOD:3/1/2015 – 2/28/2016 ABSTRACT:Island ecosystems have low buffering capacity, hence are highly vulnerable to change. Shifts in rainfall and temperature driven by climate change can compromise available water supply…

Microbial communities and sources of bacteria in Honolulu’s water supply

SPONSOR:National Institute for Water Resources, Water Resources Research Institute Program PROJECT PERIOD:03/01/2015-02/29/2017 ABSTRACT:The overarching goal of the project is to characterize microbial communities and sources of microbes in Honolulu’s water supply. This is the first in-depth analysis of microbes in…