The
epiphytic microbial communities of seagrass (Cymodocearotundata and Thalassiatestudinum) along with sediments and seawater of the seagrass
ecosystem of Andaman Sea were assessed for heterotrophic bacterial communities.
Young leaves of C. nodosa and T. testudinum sediments and water
samples were collected from two different locations at Burmanala and Havelock
island. Young leaves were swabbed and transferred into Alkaline peptone water
along with 1 gm of sediments and 1 ml of seawater for initial microbial enrichments,
followed by culture of microbes in Salt Yeast Extract Agar. Thiosulphate
Citrate Bile Salt agar was used for seagrass leaves, sediments and water for
culturing of Vibrio like microbes.
The observed colonies were morphologically (colour) identified first and then
further identification was done by Gram staining and various biochemical tests.
Sediment bacterial count was 10-fold higher than seagrass and water column
communities. Morphologically 29% of total bacterial colonies identified were of
grey and white colour. T. testudinum bacterial epiphytes were 2-fold higher than C.rotundata communities. Gram negative bacterial isolates of Pseudomonas, Vibrios and Aeromonas dominated the bacterial colonies than gram
positive bacteria of Bacillus and Micrococcus. Vibrioswere only observed on seagrass leaves. Seagrass
harboured more gram positive bacterial colonies than gram negative, which were
dominated in the sediments of seagrass ecosystem. The bacterial communities of
landward site of Burmanala and Havelock were similar whereas 2-fold higher
communities were observed at the seaward site of Havelock site on T. testudinum. Seagrass ecosystem
bacterial epiphytic communities are diverse in oligotrophic waters.
Cite this paper
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