The Enumeration, Isolation and Characterization of Sulphate‐reducing Bacteria from North Sea Waters

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Abstract
Sulphate‐reducing bacteria present in sea water used for secondary recovery of oil in the North Sea were enumerated using a most probable number method. Numbers ranged from 0 to 90/ml. Seventeen strains were isolated from enrichments using either lactate or propionate in media containing yeast extract. Cytological, physiological, biochemical and nutritional characteristics were determined for 14 strains and the moles percentage guanine plus cytosine ratio determined for seven strains. Two morphological types were recognized based on size and spirilla formation but in many of the properties examined the strains were similar; Gram negative, non‐spore‐forming, desulfoviridin‐positive vibrios which contained cytochrome C3 and, therefore, corresponded to the genus Desulfovibrio. The range of GC values spanned 58.2 to 62.5% which substantiated the tentative identification of the isolates as strains of D. vulgaris.