Identification and biodegradation characteristics of oil-degrading bacteria from subtropical Iriomote Island, Japan, and tropical Con Dao Island, Vietnam

Oil-degrading bacteria (ODB) from subtropical Iriomote Island, Japan, and tropical Con Dao Island, Vietnam, exhibit distinct biodegradation capabilities. The study found that isolates from Iriomote demonstrated higher degradation rates for crude oil, n-alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared to those from Con Dao. Notably, Pseudomonas putida and Ochrobactrum anthropi from Iriomote degraded over 40% of oil and n-alkanes and more than 25% of PAHs. While total bacterial counts were similar in sediment samples, seawater samples from Iriomote had significantly fewer ODB than those from Con Dao. The research isolated 45 bacteria across 18 genera, highlighting regional differences in microbial adaptation to potential oil contamination in these subtropical and tropical environments.

Phi Doan, C. D., Sano, A., Tamaki, H., Duc Pham, H. N., Duong, X. H., & Terashima, Y. (2016). Identification and biodegradation characteristics of oil-degrading bacteria from subtropical Iriomote Island, Japan, and tropical Con Dao Island, Vietnam. Tropics, 25(4), 147–159. https://doi.org/10.3759/tropics.ms16-01