Marine heterotrophic bacteria as indicators in the quality assessment of coastal waters: Introducing the “apparent bacterial concentration” approach

Abstract

Abstract A simplified fingerprint, obtained by counting the colonies of luminescent and nonluminescent bacteria developing on filters plated on a solid culture medium, was applied to obtain an indication of coastal water quality. Results from a reference area and three polluted sites (essentially by urban sewage) and their variations during the year are reported. A tentative characterization of the “clean” and polluted sites is made.