Chapter V — 83 — Distribution in the Sea 



The presence of bacteriophage active against various bacteria has been 

 reported by Hauduroy (1923), Fernand et al. (1925), Fejgin (1926), 

 FoRTUNATO (1928), GiLDEMEiSTER and Watanabe (1931), and others 

 who have examined coastal waters. P^ernand et al. (1925) believed that 

 the rapid disappearance of fresh-water bacteria observed in the sea is due 

 primarily to the action of bacteriophage rather than to the unfavorable 

 salt content of sea water or to other adverse physical conditions. Gilde- 

 meister and Watanabe (1931) concluded that while bacteriophage may 

 occur in sea water, the content is very small. Gee (i932(/) wrote that, 

 although the activity of bacteriophage in reducing the bacterial popula- 

 tion of water has not been determined, it certainly may be expected in the 

 intestinal contents of marine fishes. Davis (1933) was unable to demon- 

 strate any bacteriophage in either sea water or in polluted sea-bath waters. 



Observations at the Scripps Institution indicate that bacteriophage 

 for several different bacteria occurs in sea water along the coast, but it is 

 rather difftcult to demonstrate its presence. The infrequency with which 

 positive results are obtained indicates that bacteriophage is not present 

 in high concentrations or that it occurs only sporadically. The lytic prin- 

 ciple has never been demonstrated in water collected beyond the littoral 

 zone. 



Since bacteriophage is generally found associated with large numbers 

 of rapidly multiplying bacteria, it is very doubtful if the sparse bacterial 

 population characteristic of the open ocean is conducive to the develop- 

 ment or activity of bacteriophage. The activity of bacteriophage may 

 contribute to the destruction of bacteria in polluted water along the coast, 

 but there are no experimental data or theoretical considerations to suggest 

 that bacteriophage is a factor which limits the bacterial population of the 

 open ocean. 



Effect of solid surfaces : — Unlike polluted waters, the bacterial popu- 

 lation of which decreases from billions per ml. to millions per ml. during 

 storage in small receptacles, the bacterial population of sea water which 

 normally contains only a few hundred bacteria per ml. increases to thou- 

 sands or millions of bacteria per ml. after being stored for a few days in 

 glass receptacles. Waksman and Carey (1935a) attributed the increase 

 in the bacterial population of stored sea water to the dying out of proto- 

 zoans and other animals which devour bacteria and to the modification of 

 "certain controlling factors {in situ) injurious to free bacterial develop- 

 ment." Keys et al. (1935), who observed similar changes in stored sea 

 water, expressed the belief that the activity of bacteria in the sea is limited 

 by the "extreme stability of the ocean as a chemical and physical factor." 

 This may be another way of saying that there are not more bacteria in the 

 sea because they die off as fast as they multiply, but it fails to explain why 

 the bacteria multiply faster than they die for a few days following storage 

 of the water in glass receptacles. 



Temperature cannot be regarded as responsible for the increased bac- 

 terial activity in stored sea water, because the bacterial population in- 

 creases regardless of the temperature within the range of from 0° to 30° C. 

 In fact, there is increased bacterial activity in sea water which is stored 

 in bottles submerged in the sea under conditions which otherwise simulate 

 very closely natural environmental conditions. Likewise the bacterial 

 population increased a hundred- to a thousand-fold when the water was 

 stored in the sea retained in glass bottles with open mouths which per- 



