Investigation on hydrocarbon degradation ability of some halophilic microorganism isolates

This study aimed to determine the ability of 120 halophilic microorganisms isolated from different salt lakes and salterns in our country to their potential for biodegradation hydrocarbons (phenol, pyrene, benzopyrene, naphthalene and phenanthrene). Twenty-eight isolates that capable of degrading hydrocarbons were chosen for identification with 16S rRNA sequence analysis. All of the isolates were identified as Chromohalobacter, Idiomarina, Marinobacter, Aquisalimonas, Halomonas, Virgibacillus ve Halovibrio in Bacteria domain. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis carried out with three representative strains confirmed their ability to efficiently degrade aromatic compounds under halophilic conditions. As a result of analysis, Chromohalobacter salexigens, Marinococcus halophilus and Halomonas sp. were able to use all hydrocarbons as the sole carbon and energy source. Results that gathered in this study demonstrate twenty-eight halophilic bacterial strains have noticeable potential for further use in bioremediation processes in hydrocarbons contaminated hypersaline enviroments. Keywords: Halophilic microorganism, Hydrocarbon, Degradation, 16S rRNA sequence analysis