Studies on psychrophilic bacteria in two lakes of different trophy

The number of bacteria capable of growth at low temperatures in two lakes was found to be subject to considerable variation throughout the year although the changes were not correlated with changes in ambient temperature. A correlation was, however, observed between temperature and ratio of number of psychrophiles to "total" count. All of the psychrophilic bacteria isolated from the studied lakes were able to grow at temperatures below 0 degrees C. Microorganisms isolated from eutrophic lakes were characterized by more pronounced stenothermy than those isolated from lake with low tropic level. These bacteria represented a type resembling a type resembling obligatory or ,,true" psychrophiles. Most of the isolates belonged to the genus Pseudomonas and to the Flavobacterium--Cytophaga group.