Isolation characterization and growth of locally isolated hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacteria (eastern Algerian...

The Algerian coastline is being exposed to several types of pollution, including that of hydrocarbons. This environment rich in oil could be the source of proliferation of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. The objective of the study is to isolate and identify indigenous bacterial strains from marine waters of two ports in the eastern Algerian coast and to test their growth in the presence of hydrocarbons with and without biostimulation throughout the intake of nitrogen and phosphate. Results recorded the highest level of both total hydrocarbons and phosphates in the port of Annaba, followed by El-Kala station and then the control station, while that of total nitrogen was vice versa. Fifty-three bacterial strains were identified from which four were selected to perform the growth tests. Results showed that the growth and the biodegradation differ from one species to another. Thus, the strains tested (Halomonas venusta NY-8, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum NB11-3A, Vibrio alginolyticus Pb-WC11099, and Dietzia sp. CNJ898 PL04) seem very active, in which better growth was obtained with the last two strains during nitrogen and phosphate supplementation. Such strains are suggested to participate a lot in the biodegradation of oil at polluted sites.