ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROCARBON-DEGRADATION BACTERIA IN XIAMEN HARBOR

The ecology of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were investigated during five cruises in Xiamen Harbor. The results demonstrated that number of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were 2.1×10²-7.5×10⁶ cell/l and 1.7×10²-1.5×10⁶ cell/g dry and hetcrotrophic bacteria were 3.0×10⁴-5.9×10⁹ cell/l and 2.53×10³-5.0×10³ cell/g dry in seawater and sediment respectively. The isolated strains which can degrade the petroleum belong to fifteen genera. Most, strains can only degsade one kind of hydro-carbon or petroleum. The results showed that the population and the species-composition of hydro carbon-degrading microorganisms were positively correlated with existing level of oil pollution and with water temperature, but independent of total microbtat count.