Culturable Diversity of Halophilic Bacteria from Soil and Saline Water Samples of Arabian Sea, Karachi Port, Pakistan

Abstract

Microorganisms capable of survival in extremely high salt concentration are termed as halophiles and a significant source of various enzymes such as hydrolases. Many hydrolases e.g., proteases, amylases and lipases are widely employed in industrial applications. In the current study, we isolated, screened and characterized halophilic bacteria from the shoreline of Arabian Sea, Karachi Port, Pakistan. The water and soil samples collected from Karachi Port; Pakistan were tested for the presence of halophilic bacteria using increasing salt concentrations. Isolated strains were described using various biochemical assays i.e., KOH production, ammonia production, catalase activity, and oxidase activity. For amylase and protease activity, formation of clearance zones – around bacterial growth – was observed, on starch and gelatin agar plates, respectively. Two bacterial strains, N20 (PQ460959) and M3 (PQ460960), with notable amylase and protease activities, were identified via 16S rRNA sequencing as Halobacillus salinus and Halobacillus fulvus, respectively. Further exploration of saline environments is crucial for discovering microbiota with potential applications in biotechnology and environmental remediation.