Antimicrobial activity and Characterization of Marine bacteria in Coastal sea water

Coastal seawater samples were collected from Rameswaram, Ramanathapuram District. Twenty five bacteria were isolated and identified according to morphology, biochemical tests and selective growth media. The active marine bacteria isolates were assigned to the genera Alteromonas, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Pseudoalteromonas sp. The TLC autobiographic overlay assay implied that the antimicrobial metabolites produced by four strains with wide antimicrobial spectrum were different. The isolates were tested for antimicrobial activity against the test organisms of Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes and Streptococcus mutans. Only 2 isolates of MB11 and MB17 showed clean growth inhibition zone against test organisms. These marine bacteria were identified and expected to be potential resources of natural antibiotic products.