ZoBell — 2 — Marine Microbiology 



tary organisms on submerged surfaces such as ships' bottoms, pilings, and 

 aqueducts. Bacteria and allied microorganisms are primarily responsible 

 for the deterioration of fish nets, cork floats, and ropes, and they may aid 

 boring animals in the destruction of wooden structures in the sea. 



These and numerous other ways in which marine microorganisms are 

 of academic or economic interest will be elaborated in the succeeding 

 chapters. The characteristics, methods of studying, and distribution of 

 bacteria and allied microorganisms in the sea will also be discussed. 



Although marine microbiology is regarded as being a new and rela- 

 tively undeveloped science, one of the first accurately described species 

 of bacteria, Spirochaeta plicatilis, was isolated from sea water more than 

 a hundred years ago by Eheenbeeg (1838). Cohn (1865) isolated and 

 described the marine-dwelling Beggiatoa mirabilis in 1865, and Warming 

 (1875) described Beggiatoa minima in 1875. A year later Warming (1876) 

 described Thio spirillum violaceum, Thio spirillum rosenbergii, and Achro- 

 matium miilleri. 



However, only 86 of the species of bacteria out of the 1335 species 

 listed in Beegey's (1939) Manual of Determinative Bacteriology were 

 isolated from the sea, and most of these have been only incompletely 

 studied. Even less is known concerning marine yeasts and molds. This 

 is symptomatic of the fact that the study of marine microbiology has been 

 sadly neglected. There are perhaps as many, and probably more, differ- 

 ent species of bacteria in the sea than there are on land, and future studies 

 may reveal that marine bacteria are as important as those which live on 

 land or in fresh-water environments. 



There are several reasons why the study of marine microbiology has 

 been neglected. Relatively few scientists have had ready access to the 

 sea as compared with the number who have had access to the soil, fresh 

 water, or other sources of microorganisms. Even those who have the 

 necessary laboratory facilities close to the sea may find that estuarine or 

 coastal waters are not typical of oceanic conditions. This is particularly 

 true in regions where there is much fresh- water or terrigenous pollution. 



Ordinarily it is necessary to collect samples at considerable distances 

 from the mainland in order to insure their freedom from terrigenous con- 

 tamination, and the samples must be analyzed soon after collection if the 

 results are to have any quantitative significance. The aseptic collection 

 and bacteriological analysis of samples of water, bottom deposits, and 

 other marine materials has required the development of special equipment 

 and techniques. Very few ocean-going research vessels have been avail- 

 able for the study of the sea, and only rarely has the scientific staff in- 

 cluded a trained microbiologist. 



In spite of the difficulties which have curtailed the study of marine 

 microbiology, considerable progress has been made since bacteria were 

 first found in the sea. The pioneer work of Ceetes (1884a), Fischer 

 (1886), Russell (1891), and their contemporaries established that living 

 bacteria are widely distributed throughout the ocean. 



The period of exploration: — While on the Talisman Expedition, 

 Ceetes (1884a) collected 100 samples of water and bottom deposits, some 

 from depths as great as 5000 meters. Bacteria which multiplied under 

 aerobic conditions of cultivation were found in all except four of the sam- 

 ples, thereby indicating a widespread distribution of bacteria. He was 

 unable to demonstrate any anaerobes. Although his results have no 



