Quantitative and Qualitative Studies of Bacteria Isolated from Sea Water Used in the Laboratory Culture of the American Oyster, <i>Crassostrea virginica</i>

Abstract

Quantitative and qualitative bacteriological studies were conducted on sea water utilized in laboratory culture of American oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica).The generic diversity of bacteria isolated from a laboratory seawater storage tank did not change during a 15-day sampling period, although bacterial numbers increased substantially. The mean number of bacteria in ultraviolet light-irradiated sea water was less than that in nonirradiated sea water, although individual samples varied considerably. Over a 10-day sampling period during which oyster larval cultures were sampled repetitively, bacteria were more numerous at 24 h and 48 h than at 0 h.Pseudomonas was the dominant genus present in stored sea water, irradiated sea water, and sea water from oyster larval cultures.