Yeasts from the sediment samples of the EEZ along the southwest coast of India

Abstract

Fiftyeight yeast isolates were obtained from the benthic sediment samples of 19 stations during R.V. Gaveshani Cruise No. 187 of the Exclusive Economic Zone along the southwest coast of India. The depths ranged from 20 to 1,055 m. Asporogenous yeast isolates were more in number belonging to the genera Candida, Rhodotorula and Geotrichum. Isolates of sporogenous yeasts belonged to Debaryomyces and Saccharomyces. Genus Candida was the most common representEd. by its species at all depths and distances from the coast and Rhodotorula was next in abundance. Colony forming units (cfu) per gram of wet weight of samples ranged from 4 to 54.