v7i3.186

ISSN: 1800-427X (print)
eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
Alfred Russel Wallace Centenary Issue
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v7i3.186

Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Alfred Russel Wallace and the Wallacea
Organised by the Indonesian Academy of Sciences
Wakatobi - Indonesia (10–13 November 2013)
J. Supriatna, A.A.T. Amarasinghe, and C. Margules (Editors)
Published date: 30 July 2015
Pp. 143–150, Pls. 5–7.

ISOLATION OF MARINE BACTERIA IN AMBON BAY WITH POTENTIAL BIOTECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES

Yosmina Tapilatu*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: yosmina.tapilatu@lipi.go.id

Abstract
Ambon Bay is situated in the Wallacea biogeographical area. Despite various studies on marine natural resources reported from this bay, limited information is available on marine bacteria that produce compounds with potential biotechnological applications. We report here preliminary results of our attempt to isolate bacteria of this group from Ambon Bay. Nine different isolates were obtained, but only eight indicated potential as producers of compounds with biotechnological potential. Two isolates indicated agarolytic bacteria characteristics, whereas one showed the properties of exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing bacteria. Three isolates produced various pigments. Two were identified tentatively as members of actinomycetes, a group known as a prolific producer of antimicrobial compounds. Preliminary identification of the cell morphologies of each isolate revealed the dominance of cocci-shaped bacteria. Most of them showed optimal growth in 1 to 7 days when incubated at 30°C. These results indicate that Ambon Bay waters and the surrounding area could harbour marine bacteria with potential features for biotechnological applications.

Key words : eastern Indonesia, marine bacteria, secondary metabolites, Wallacea marine area