Tropical marine ecosystems: The microbial component

Abstract

Microbes such as bacteria, fungi and unicellular algae assume greater importance in the tropical marine ecosystems because of their abundance, biomass and activity in a number of chemical and biological processes that provide the driving force for vital biogeochemical cycles. Although the bacteriology of fish has been extensively studied in connection with spoilage, comparatively little work has been done on the role of intestinal flora in fish nutrition. A number of plant and animal diseases have been recognised. Of late isolation of human pathogens from coastal areas has become very common. Many marine microbes have been reported to produce a variety of bioactive compounds. An attempt has been made in this paper to give an overview of the work done in India