GERBAM — Deuxième Colloque International de Bactériologie marine — CNRS, Brest, 1-5 octobre 1984
IFREMER, Actes de Colloques, 3, 1986, pp. 525-531
62
THE DISPERSAL OF NITROGEN-FIXING ENTEROBACTERIACEAE FROM
SEWAGE INTO THE WATERS AND SEDIMENTS OF MORECAMBE BAY,UK.
K. JONES and M. BETAIEB
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lancaster, LANCASTER LAI 4YQ. (U.K.)
ABSTRACT - The sediments of Morecambe Bay contain large numbers of salinity-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing
Enterobacteriaceae (NFEs) (mainly Klebsiella pneumoniae) which appear to be derived from sewage. Sewage
effluents, regardless as to whether they have received primary or secondary treatment, contain huge numbers of
NFEs with salinity-tolerant and freshwater strains present in roughly equal quantities. The bacteria are
discharged into the rivers and estuaries and carried out to sea. Once in the sea the salinity-tolerant strains retain
their viability better than the freshwater strains so that the incoming tide, which doses the sediments, contains
mainly salinity-tolerant NFEs. It is probable that similar processes occur all round the UK. coast as inshore
coastal waters in the North Sea and English Channel have also been shown to contain salinity-tolerant NFEs.
Key words : nitrogen-fixing Enterobacteriaceae (NFEs).
RÉSUMÉ - Les sédiments de la baie de Morecambe présentent un grand nombre d’enterobacteries halotolérantes et fixatrices d’azote (NFEs) (principalement Klebsiella pneumoniae) qui semblent provenir des eaux
d’égouts. Les effluents domestiques, indépendamment de leur traitement primaire ou secondaire, sont très
riches en NFEs dont les proportions en souches halotolérantes et en souches d’eau douce sont rigoureusement
égales. Les bactéries sont déversées dans les rivières et estuaires, puis sont transportées vers la mer.Une fois en
mer, les souches halotolérantes sont plus viables que les souches d’eau douce. Ainsi dans les prélèvements de
sédiment, effectués à marée montante, la flore bactérienne est principalement constituée de NFEs halotolérantes. Il est probable que les mêmes phénomènes se produisent tout au long des côtes de la Grande Bretagne. En
effet, les eaux côtières intérieures de la Mer du Nord et de la Manche contiennent également des NFEs
halotolérantes.
Mots clés : entérobactéries fixatrices d’azote (NFEs).
INTRODUCTION
It has been shown that salinity-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing strains of bacteria in the family
Enterobacteriaceae are present in the estuary and sediments of the river Lune and that
they may contribute to nitrogen fixation in the sediments (Jones, 1982a and 1982b).
However, it is not clear whether the presence of such bacteria is a local phenomenom
caused by the discharge of only partially treated sewage into the Lune estuary, or whether
similar bacteria are also present in treated sewage effluents, rivers, other estuaries and
seawater.
This paper presents evidence that both freshwater and salinity-tolerant strains of
nitrogen-fixing Enterobacteriaceae are widespread in UK. rivers and estuaries and that
salinity-tolerant strains are selected for in coastal waters.
525
IFREMER, Actes de Colloques, 3, 1986, pp. 525-531
62
THE DISPERSAL OF NITROGEN-FIXING ENTEROBACTERIACEAE FROM
SEWAGE INTO THE WATERS AND SEDIMENTS OF MORECAMBE BAY,UK.
K. JONES and M. BETAIEB
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lancaster, LANCASTER LAI 4YQ. (U.K.)
ABSTRACT - The sediments of Morecambe Bay contain large numbers of salinity-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing
Enterobacteriaceae (NFEs) (mainly Klebsiella pneumoniae) which appear to be derived from sewage. Sewage
effluents, regardless as to whether they have received primary or secondary treatment, contain huge numbers of
NFEs with salinity-tolerant and freshwater strains present in roughly equal quantities. The bacteria are
discharged into the rivers and estuaries and carried out to sea. Once in the sea the salinity-tolerant strains retain
their viability better than the freshwater strains so that the incoming tide, which doses the sediments, contains
mainly salinity-tolerant NFEs. It is probable that similar processes occur all round the UK. coast as inshore
coastal waters in the North Sea and English Channel have also been shown to contain salinity-tolerant NFEs.
Key words : nitrogen-fixing Enterobacteriaceae (NFEs).
RÉSUMÉ - Les sédiments de la baie de Morecambe présentent un grand nombre d’enterobacteries halotolérantes et fixatrices d’azote (NFEs) (principalement Klebsiella pneumoniae) qui semblent provenir des eaux
d’égouts. Les effluents domestiques, indépendamment de leur traitement primaire ou secondaire, sont très
riches en NFEs dont les proportions en souches halotolérantes et en souches d’eau douce sont rigoureusement
égales. Les bactéries sont déversées dans les rivières et estuaires, puis sont transportées vers la mer.Une fois en
mer, les souches halotolérantes sont plus viables que les souches d’eau douce. Ainsi dans les prélèvements de
sédiment, effectués à marée montante, la flore bactérienne est principalement constituée de NFEs halotolérantes. Il est probable que les mêmes phénomènes se produisent tout au long des côtes de la Grande Bretagne. En
effet, les eaux côtières intérieures de la Mer du Nord et de la Manche contiennent également des NFEs
halotolérantes.
Mots clés : entérobactéries fixatrices d’azote (NFEs).
INTRODUCTION
It has been shown that salinity-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing strains of bacteria in the family
Enterobacteriaceae are present in the estuary and sediments of the river Lune and that
they may contribute to nitrogen fixation in the sediments (Jones, 1982a and 1982b).
However, it is not clear whether the presence of such bacteria is a local phenomenom
caused by the discharge of only partially treated sewage into the Lune estuary, or whether
similar bacteria are also present in treated sewage effluents, rivers, other estuaries and
seawater.
This paper presents evidence that both freshwater and salinity-tolerant strains of
nitrogen-fixing Enterobacteriaceae are widespread in UK. rivers and estuaries and that
salinity-tolerant strains are selected for in coastal waters.
525