570 Marine Microbiology 



(numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5) competition and predation were not 

 adequate to explain the rapid death of E. coli in untreated water, 

 since survival in autoclaved water was considerably greater than 

 survival in filtered water. 



TABLE 1 



The Survival of Escherichia Coli in Untreated^ Filtered and 

 Autoclaved Portions of Six Samples of Sea Water 



Survival After 48 hr. for 6 Samples 

 Treatment 12 3 4 5 6 



* Using type HA membrane, Millipore Filter Corp., Watertown, Mass. 



The beneficial efi^ects of autoclaving over and above those 

 resulting from filtration may have been due to any one or com- 

 bination of factors that require further study. The significance of 

 biological factors has been overemphasized and the results sug- 

 gest that greater attention should be focused on the influence of 

 temperature on the physico-chemical characteristics of sea water. 

 The beneficial effect of autoclaving on the survival of bacteria in 

 sea water may be due in part to the influence of heat on such 

 factors as redox-potential, concentration of dissolved gases, and 

 ionic equilibria. 



REFERENCES 



1. Carlucci, a. F. and Pramer, D.: Factors influencing the plate method 



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2. Carlucci, A. F. and Pramer, D.: Factors affecting the survival of 



bacteria in sea water. Appl. Microbiol, 7:388-392, 1959. 



3. Carlucci, A. F. and Pramer, D.: An evalution of factors affecting the 



survival of Escherichia coli in sea water. I. Experimental Procedures. 

 Appl. Microbiol, 8:243-247, 1960a. 



4. Carlucci, A. F. and Pramer, D. : An evaluation of factors affecting the 



survival of Escherichia coli in sea water. II. Salinity, pH, and nu- 

 trients. Appl Microbiol, 8:247-250, 1960b. 



5. Carlucci, A. F. and Pramer, D.: An evaluation of factors affecting 



the survival of Escherichia coli in sea watei-. Ill Antibiotics. Appl 

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6. Carlucci, A. F. and Pramer, D.: An evalution of factors affecting 



