Isolation of strictly anaerobic halophiles from the aerobic surface sediments of hypersaline environments in California and Nevada

Abstract

Four strictly anaerobic, chemoorganotrophic halophiles were isolated from the hypersaline surface sediments of the evaporating closed lagoon at the rim of Salton Sea, California, and of Big Soda Lake, Nevada, whose condition was not strictly anaerobic. All of the isolates were Gram-negative, motile, non-spore-forming, moderately halophilic eubacteria and required a minimum concentration of 3–10% NaCl in the growth medium. Among the four isolates, strain SS-21 could grow at more than 30% NaCl concentration, and strain M-20 was an alkalophine. Isolation of these bacteria suggests that a variety of anaerobic halophiles is widely distributed in hypersaline environments.