Photosynthetic bacteria in the marine environment at Porto-Novo

Sediment and water samples were collected from mangrove and estuarine biotopes at fortnightly intervals. The physico-chemical characters of the overlying water were studied. In the mangrove biotope maximum temperature (31.5°C) and in the estuarine biotope maximum salinity (35.6‰) were recorded during the summer season, whereas in post-monsoon period the sulphate content was increased to 516 p.p.m. and the pH was reduced to 7.4. Invariably both in the enriched sediment and water samples four major peaks (at wavelengths 460, 705, 772 and 850 nm) and two minor peaks (at wavelengths 580 and 663 nm) of absorption spectra were noticed. A pure culture of Chromatium sp., isolated from mangroves sediment, showed three peaks of absorption spectra at wavelengths, 500, 580 and 850 nm. The effect of sodium chloride on the growth of Chromatium sp., was also studied and it was observed that maximum growth occurred in the range 1-3% sodium chloride concentration. This isolate was also capable of utilizing various sulphur and carbon compounds. Glycerol and glucose did not show any specific effect whereas pyruvate, malate and acetate increased the growth.

Nitrogen fixing bacteria, Azotobacter sp. in aquatic sediment

Non-symbiotic, free living, nitrogen fixing bacteria, Azotobacter sp. was estimated in sediments of estuarine, marine, backwater and mangrove environments of Portonovo. Number of colony forming units (CFU) of Azotobacter sp. was less (5 to 27 cells/g of dry sediment). CFU of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB), actinomycetes and fungi were between 4.1x10 super(6) and 4.5x10 super (7), 0.8x10 super(5) and 4.9x10 super(5), 1.1x10 super(5) and 3.8x10 super(5)/g respectively. Mangrove sediments contained more CFU of the above microbial groups.

Inactivation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in drinking water

A study was conducted in the Cochin area of India to determine the effect of drinking water on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium that contaminates fish harvested from marine and estuarine environments. Times of fresh-water exposure required to inactivate these bacteria are given. Findings indicate that the washing of fish and equipment used to handle the fish in drinking water may decrease in the number of viable Vibrio cells and thus aid in prevention of food poisoning.

The study of ecological condition on productivity of Tajan River estuary in Mazandaran Province Caspian Sea

This project was done during a one-year period (2006-2007) with the aim of assessing and evaluating the susceptible and vulnerable habitat of Tajan River estuarine region as well as identifying its ecological features. This region consists of Tajan estuarine region as one of the sub-basins of the Caspian Sea basin which covers a surface of 2km2. In this assessment, 6 riverine estuarine and marine stations were chosen in which non-biotic parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and nutrients, and biotic parameters such as variation, density, plankton, primary production by chlorophyll-a. Benthos variation density, silt and the organic materials of the sediments were sampled and measured monthly. The amount of chlorophyll-a concentration and primary production showed a lot of seasonal changes at these stations which ranged from0.3 to 96 mg/m3. The results from the primary productions indicated that the eastern station of the estuary had high concentrations of chlorophyll-a during all seasons (96mg/m3). The most important and dominant planktonic groups in this region included Bacillariophyta from plankton and copepoda from zooplankton. The most important Benthos communities consisted of Driessena polymorpha.Cerastoderma lamarki in estuarine region,Chironomus plumosus in riverine region and Hypaniola sp. In marine region. Assessing the annual variation in these three riverine, estuarine and marine regions, phytoplankton with 3.1, Zooplankton with 2.7 and Benthos with 1.9 Showed the most density in the estuarine region. Assessing the annual density, phytoplanktonic (6118967 no . in m3) and zooplanktonic (7272 no . in m3) communities showed the most density in the marine region. Assessing the statistical tests showed that the estuarine and riverine regions had a significant difference in planktonic density (p<0.005) compared with the marine region. Moreover, The zeoplanktonic density in the marine region had a significant difference (p<0.005) with estuarine and riverine regions. Tooki test and one-way variance Analysis showed that in assessing the planktonic groups (p<0.005) and Benthos (p<0.005), there was a significant difference in variation index between river with estuary, and estuary with the sea. The amount of the total annual live biomass of the Benthos resource in Tajan river estuarine region was estimated 757.66 g/m2.