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Distribution and generic composition of culturable marine actinomycetes from the sediments of Indian continental slope of Bay of Bengal

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Abstract

Actinomycetes population from continental slope sediment of the Bay of Bengal was studied. Samples were collected during two voyages of FORV Sagar Sampada in 2004 (May–June) and 2005 (July) respectively from 11 transects (each transect had ca. 200 m, 500 m, and 1 000 m depth stations). The physicochemical parameters of overlying water, and sediment samples were also recorded. The actinomycete population ranged from 5.17 to 51.94 CFU/g dry sediment weight and 9.38 to 45.22 CFU/g dry sediment weight during the two cruises respectively. No actinomycete colony was isolated from stations in 1 000 m depth. Two-way analysis of variance showed significant variation among stations (ANOVA two-way, P<0.05), but no significance was found between the two cruises (ANOVA two-way, P<0.05). Populations in stations in 500 m depth in both cruises were higher than that of 200 m depth stations with statistically insignificant difference (ANOVA two-way, P>0.05). Three actinomycetes genera were identified. Streptomyces was found to be the dominating one in both the cruises, followed by Micromonospora, and Actinomyces. The spore of Streptomyces isolates showed the abundance in spiral spore chain. Spore surface was smooth. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the influencing physico-chemical factors were sediment pH, sediment temperature, TOC, porosity, salinity, and pressure. The media used in the present study was prepared with seawater. Thus, they may represent an autochthonous marine flora and deny the theory of land runoff carriage into the sea for adaptation to the salinity of the seawater and sediments.

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  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai-608 502, Tamil Nadu, India

    Surajit Das, P. S. Lyla & S. Ajmal Khan

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Das, S., Lyla, P.S. & Ajmal Khan, S. Distribution and generic composition of culturable marine actinomycetes from the sediments of Indian continental slope of Bay of Bengal. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 26, 166–177 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-008-0166-5

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