Between 1999 and 2006, two strains ofS. marcescenswere associated with large outbreaks of WPD (acroporid serratiosis) in
the Florida Keys. The strain found in association with outbreaks in
2002 and 2003 was identical to a strain concurrently found in human sewage from the nearby islands that compose the Florida
Keys archipelago (5,6). Until recently, septic systems and cesspits
werethe primary mechanism of wastewater disposal (7–9). Ingrounddisposal of waste led to sewage pollution in both nearshore
and offshore waters of the Florida Keys