Author(s)

Tersagh Ichor^*, Phillip O. Okerentugba, Gideon C. Okpokwasili

Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria.

Surface water sources in the oil producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria are highly susceptible to pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons and so it is important to understand the microbial diversity of such ecosystems. Water and sediment samples were collected between April-August, 2013 from Bodo creeks and taken to Environmental Microbiology laboratory of University of Portharcourt for analysis. A total of thirty aerobic heterotrophic bacterial strains isolated ranged from 3.0 - 7.0 × 10⁴ cfu for surface water and 1.6 - 5.6 × 10⁴ cfu for sediment samples of Bodo creek using serial dilution and spread plate technique. Pure cultures of bacteria were obtained on the basis of their morphological characteristics and subjected to biochemical tests and further classified on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The DNA was isolated from size fractionated samples and the diversity of bacteria in each fraction was studied using PCR amplification of partial 16S rRNA. The sequences were submitted to NCBIGen bank for identification and assigning of accession numbers. The isolated aerobic heterotrophic bacteria belong to the families of Enterobacteriaceae, Bacilliceae, Alcaligenaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Flavobactericeae and Planococcaceae.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon, Brackish Water, Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria, Diversity

Ichor, T. , Okerentugba, P. and Okpokwasili, G. (2014) Molecular Characterization of Aerobic Heterohophic Bacteria Isolated from Petroleum Hydrocarbon Polluted Brackish Waters of Bodo Creeks, Rivers State Nigeria. Open Journal of Ecology, 4, 715-722. doi: 10.4236/oje.2014.412061.