Microbial Ecological Distribution of Marine Actinomycetes Isolated from L

Actinomycetes are threadlike or filamentous, Gram positive bacteria that form branching filaments with hyphae and asexual spores. The hyphae are usually septate or coenocytic in nature. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial ecological distribution of marine actinomycetes isolated from the Lagos Atlantic Ocean, South West Nigeria. Marine (soil and water) samples were collected from about 10 m deep from Lagos Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean. Starch Casein agar was prepared aseptically. Isolation and enumeration, and identification of actinomycetes were carried out using standard microbiological protocols, and Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology and Actinomycetes Atlas, respectively. It was discovered that marine actinomycetes were variably more abundant in Atlantic Ocean than in the Lagoon. Marine actinomycetes had a least 
count of 9 ± 0.33 x 102 CFU/mL from site D and a highest count of 1.13 ± 6.02 x 104 CFU/mL from site F. Most of the results obtained from the lagoon (site A, B, D, E. and F) were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Also, a total of 379 marine actinomycetes were identified from sediments the seashore and of which Rhodococcus equi and Dietzia type strains had the least occurrence of 0.24% respectively. The second least actinomycetes are the species of Nonomurea which had an occurrence of 0.48%. Streptomyces hydroscopicus had the highest occurrence of 28.43%. This study discovered that marine actinomycetes were variably more in the Atlantic Ocean when compared to their counterpart in lagoon, and also there were more marine actinomycetes in sediments than in water samples. These organisms can be explored for the production of different industrial products ranging from pharmaceuticals to agroactive compounds and bio-corrosion compounds.