THE ENUMERATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI ASSOCIATEDWITH MARINE WOOD BORING ISOPODS, AND THE ABILITY OF THESE MICROORGANISMS TO DIGEST CELLULOSE AND WOOD

Bacteria and fungi associated with the marine wood-boring isopods Limn oria lignorum and Sphaeroma serratum, and with their wood burrows and seawater were investigated. Plate counts using nutrient agar and Czape x Dox agar media in natural and in artificial seawater were used. The diversity and number of bacteria associated with the two isopods were much higher than those associated with wood or seawater, whereas the o pposite was true for fungi. The hydrolytic activity of the predominant genera on carboxymethylcellulose and on different types of wood was i nvestigated. The magnitude of fungal cellulase activity exceeded that of bacteria. Activities of bacterial extracellulases exceeded those of intracellulases, while the opposite was observed for fungi. Celluloly tic activity of the predominant isolates biodegraded labkh, peach, whi te oak and mahogany in decreasing order of activity. Evidence provided by the cellulolytic activities, detected in wood-containing cultures, suggests that the predominant microorganisms isolated may play an imp ortant role in the wood-boring process. Specimens used in the present study were collected from Port Fouad at Port Said Harbour, Egypt.