CHARACTERIZATION OF ETHANOL-PRODUCING MARINE YEASTS ISOLATED FROM COASTAL WATER

Various kinds of ethanol-producing marine yeasts from coastal water we re isolated and characterized. Number of colony forming units of the m arine yeasts on a medium were from several dozen to hundreds per 1 l o f various coastal water. Ethanol productivity from glucose by 15 isola tes of the marine yeasts widely ranged 9 similar to 77%. Above all, in five strains: TA8, 15, and 46 and TK5 and 12, the productivity was 58 similar to 77% which had the similar levels of those in industrial ye asts. Salt tolerance of the marine yeasts was measured and they grew a nd fermented in the presence of 2.0 similar to 3.0 M NaCl. Otherwise, the industrial yeasts were only in 1.0 similar to 2.0 M NaCl. In taxon omy of the marine yeasts, most of them were found to be genera Candida and Debaryomyces.