MARINE MICROBIOLOGYF A C E T S A N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S

Edited by Nagappa Ramaiah

National Institute of OceanographyDona-Paula, Goa - 403 004, India.

Marine Microbiology: Facets & Opportunities

Edited by Nagappa RamaiahNational Institute of Oceanography

Dona Paula, Goa

Copyright © 2005 National Institute of Oceanography Dona Paula, Goa, India

CONTENTS

Contributors viiForeword ixPreface xiCareer Profile of Dr. D. Chandramohan xiii

1 Preamble to Marine Microbiology: 1Facets & OpportunitiesN. Ramaiah

2 Marine Microbiology: Challenges and Future Directions 9D. Chandramohan

3 Role of Heterotrophic Bacteria in Marine Ecological 19ProcessesN. Ramaiah

4 Synergy in Sulfur Cycle: The Biogeochemical Significance 39of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria in Syntrophic AssociationsP.A. Loka Bharathi

5 Ecology of Hypersaline Microorganisms 53Savita Kerkar

6 Bacterial Association with Particles: 69Aggregation to DissolutionMaria-Judith De Souza

7 Impacts of Free Radicals on the Dynamics of 89Marine Microbial PopulationsJi-Dong Gu

8 Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Matter and Microbes 101in Seawater through Sub-micron Particle size AnalysesJoaquim I. Goes, William M. Balch, James M. Vaughnand Helga do R. Gomes

9 Bacterial Associations: Antagonism to Symbiosis 115Shanta Nair

10 The Role of Fungi in Marine Detrital Processes 125Seshagiri Raghukumar,

11 Vibrio parahaemolyticus: The Threat of another Vibrio 141Acquiring Pandemic PotentialT. Ramamurthy and G. Balakrish Nair

12 Aeromonas hydrophila: a re-emerging pathogen 157P. Lakshmanaperumalsamy, Tha. Thayumanavan andR. Subashkumar

13 Microbial diseases in shrimp aquaculture 165Iddya Karunasagar, Indrani Karunasagar and R.K. Umesha

14 Microbial Safety of Fishery Products 187Indrani Karunasagar, Iddya Karunasagarand Ammini Parvathi

15 Marine fungi and their enzymes for decolorization of 203colored effluentsChandralata Raghukumar

16 Chemical and molecular characterization of biofilm 225on metal surfacesNarayan B Bhosle

17 Bacterial Siderophores and their Biotechnological 241ApplicationsC. Mohandass

18 Inter-relationship Between Marine Meiobenthos 251and MicrobesZakir Ali Ansari

19 Ecological Significance of Marine Microzooplankton 259N. Godhantaraman

CONTRIBUTORS

Z. A. AnsariZ. A. AnsariZ. A. AnsariZ. A. AnsariZ. A. Ansari, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography,Dona Paula, Goa403 004, India

William M. BalchWilliam M. BalchWilliam M. BalchWilliam M. BalchWilliam M. Balch, Bigelow Laboratory for OceanSciences, West Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04575, USA

P. A. Loka BharathiP. A. Loka BharathiP. A. Loka BharathiP. A. Loka BharathiP. A. Loka Bharathi, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography,Dona Paula, Goa403 004

N. B. BhosleN. B. BhosleN. B. BhosleN. B. BhosleN. B. Bhosle, Marine Corrosion and Material ResearchDivision,National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula403004,Goa

D. ChandramohanD. ChandramohanD. ChandramohanD. ChandramohanD. Chandramohan, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa403 004

Maria-Judith De SouzaMaria-Judith De SouzaMaria-Judith De SouzaMaria-Judith De SouzaMaria-Judith De Souza, Biological OceanographyDivision,National Institute of Oceanography, DonaPaula, Goa 403 004

N. GodhantaramanN. GodhantaramanN. GodhantaramanN. GodhantaramanN. Godhantaraman, ENVIS Centre Department ofZoology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus,Chennai 600025, India

Joaquim I. Goesoaquim I. Goesoaquim I. Goesoaquim I. Goesoaquim I. Goes, Bigelow Laboratory for OceanSciences, West Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04575

Helga Do R. Gomes, Helga Do R. Gomes, Helga Do R. Gomes, Helga Do R. Gomes, Helga Do R. Gomes, Bigelow Laboratory for OceanSciences, West Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04575

Ji-Dong GuJi-Dong GuJi-Dong GuJi-Dong GuJi-Dong Gu, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology,Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The Universityof Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P.R.China

Iddya KarunasagarIddya KarunasagarIddya KarunasagarIddya KarunasagarIddya Karunasagar, Department of FisheryMicrobiology, University of Agricultural Sciences,College of Fisheries, Mangalore-575 002, India

Indrani KarunasagarIndrani KarunasagarIndrani KarunasagarIndrani KarunasagarIndrani Karunasagar, Department of FisheryMicrobiology, University of Agricultural Sciences,College of Fisheries, Mangalore-575 002

Savita KerkarSavita KerkarSavita KerkarSavita KerkarSavita Kerkar, Department of Biotechnology, GoaUniversity, Taleigao Plateaeu, Goa 403 206

P. LakshmanaperumalsamyP. LakshmanaperumalsamyP. LakshmanaperumalsamyP. LakshmanaperumalsamyP. Lakshmanaperumalsamy, Department ofEnvironmental Sciences, Bharathiar University,Coimbatore 641046. Tamil Nadu

C. MohandassC. MohandassC. MohandassC. MohandassC. Mohandass, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa403 004

G. Balakrish NairG. Balakrish NairG. Balakrish NairG. Balakrish NairG. Balakrish Nair, International Centre for DiarrhoealDisease Research: Centre for Health and PopulationResearch, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Shanta NairShanta NairShanta NairShanta NairShanta Nair, Biological OceanographyDivision,National Institute of Oceanography, DonaPaula, Goa 403 004

A. ParavthiA. ParavthiA. ParavthiA. ParavthiA. Paravthi, Department of Fishery Microbiology,University of Agricultural Sciences, College of Fisheries,Mangalore-575 002

N. RamaiahN. RamaiahN. RamaiahN. RamaiahN. Ramaiah, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography,Dona Paula, Goa403 004

T. RamamurthyT. RamamurthyT. RamamurthyT. RamamurthyT. Ramamurthy, National Institute of Cholera andEnteric Diseases, Beliaghata, Calcutta - 700 010, India

C. Raghukumar, C. Raghukumar, C. Raghukumar, C. Raghukumar, C. Raghukumar, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography,Dona Paula, Goa403 004

S. RaghukumarS. RaghukumarS. RaghukumarS. RaghukumarS. Raghukumar, Biological Oceanography Division,National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa403 004

R. SubashkumarR. SubashkumarR. SubashkumarR. SubashkumarR. Subashkumar, Department of EnvironmentalSciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641046.Tamil Nadu

Tha. ThayumanavanTha. ThayumanavanTha. ThayumanavanTha. ThayumanavanTha. Thayumanavan, Department of EnvironmentalSciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641046.Tamil Nadu

R. K. UmeshaR. K. UmeshaR. K. UmeshaR. K. UmeshaR. K. Umesha, Department of Fishery Microbiology,University of Agricultural Sciences, College of Fisheries,Mangalore-575 002

James M. VaughnJames M. VaughnJames M. VaughnJames M. VaughnJames M. Vaughn, College of Osteopathic Medicine,University of New England, Biddeford, ME 04005, USA

Foreword

Marine Microbiology is of interest to oceanographers for several reasons. Roles of microbesare important to the study of marine ecology. Marine microbes are also organisms ofpromising potentials for benefiting mankind. Efforts are on world wide-on marine microbesfor identifying newer and novel molecules for use in drugs. There are also pollutionbioremediation strategies that are centred around marine microbes.

This book reflects many of the recent developments in marine microbiology. I believe thebook would be useful to ocean scientists, environmentalists, aqua-culturists and seafoodprocessing technologists by providing them with recent literature and newer analyticalapproaches.

This book serves as a good summary of the present understanding on marine microbiologyof tropical waters. Those concerned with marine biology, aquaculture, human health,seafood processing and pollution will appreciate the role of ubiquitous microbes. Integratingmicrobiological research to analyze and interpret results from other disciplines ofoceanography is a direction that needs to be pursued.

Satish R. ShetyeSatish R. ShetyeSatish R. ShetyeSatish R. ShetyeSatish R. Shetye

Dona Paula, Goa

Preface

An idea of compiling contributed chapters covering certain recent researches in Marine Microbiology struckme a year or so ago for two reasons. Firstly, the microbiological research was completing 25 years at theNational Institute of Oceanography, Goa. Secondly, Dr. D. Chandramohan, ‘among the pioneering’microbiologists at the Institute, was superannuating by the end of 2004. These thoughts caught me rathervigorously and made me request my colleagues and some of my known contemporaries outside the institutepursuing microbiological research for contributing to this book. Thus, it is a collection for commemoratingsilver jubilee of microbiology research at the NIO and of Dr Chandramohan’s contributions to this branch ofscience.

Dr Chandramohan joined the NIO in 1980 after being a “very good teacher” both at Porto Novo in Tamil Naduand Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala,. He built up a good team of scientists that hasbeen studying various aspects of marine microbiology and microbial biotechnology and, led many researchprojects funded by DOD, DBT, DSTas well as industrial agencies. Dr. Chandramohan handled very successfullycoordinated a multi-investigational INDO-US project on “Application of Biochemical and Molecular Techniquesto examine Ocean Trophic Dynamics”. His contributions are significant also in the nationally coordinatedCSIR Network Project on “Harnessing of metabolites produced by bacteria associated with marine animals”and in “Discovery, Development and Commercialization of New bioactive molecules and Traditionalpreparations”. He initiated bioinformatics in marine biology some 15 years ago and, spread patent literacyamong marine biologists at the NIO. He helped a great deal in establishing National Marine Microbial ReferenceFacility at our regional centre in Kochi. Dr Chandramohan has over 100 publications in many international,refereed journals and books. On behalf of the contributors, I dedicate this collection to Dr. D.Chandramohan.

I intended this compilation to be useful for graduate students and marine biologists. I believe this book is quiteunique having covered such diverse studies on microbial ecology, associations, biofilms, trophodynamics,pathogens, microbial-safety of seafoods and, pollution remediation. In addition, latest analytical techniquesto measure the formation and fate of dissolved organic matter and to delineate environmental effects onmicrobial populations are also made possible by the contributors. I am most grateful to all contributors whoreadily obliged and helped me assembling many facets of marine microbiology.

I confess profusely that I am not an expert on all the facets of microbiology reflected in this book. But I amfortunate to have had the free access to several experienced microbiologists around the world. So, I requestedmany experts for reviewing the chapters. I thank these following reviewers for taking time to advise onseveral chapters: Drs P. A. Loka Bharathi, D. Chandramohan, Iddya Karunasagar, Indrani Karunasagar, P.Lakshmanaperumalsamy, Robert Matheron, Cenek Novotny, S. Z. Qasim, C. Raghukumar, T. Ramamurthy,Philip C. Reid and Anjana Sharma.

I am most grateful to my Institution for all the facilities extended for bringing out this book. The constantencouragement from Dr. Satish R. Shetye, Director, NIO and unstinted support from Neelam, Manish and mymany friends made it possible to compile this book.

I record my deep sense of gratitude to Jane T. Paul, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Daphne Faria, Shama Kakti,Veronica Fernandes, Ramila Furtado, Jayu Narvekar, Veera Rodrigues and Venecia Catul for their generous,timely help at various editorial stages.

I thank Ms Sujal Naik, Mr Arun Mahale and Mr. S.P. Sharma for their excellent cooperation in typesetting andenabling the reprinting of this book.

August 31, 2005 Nagappa Ramaiah

NIO, Dona Paula