Original paper DIVERSITY OF CULTURABLE BACTERIAL COMMUNITY

Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems; however, little is known about their microbial diversity in these ecosystems. The present study is aimed at investigating the general insights into the diversity of the bacterial community associated with the coral Galaxea fascicularis. A culture collection of 45 bacteria associated with coral G. fascicularis from Ujung Kulon, Indonesia was established by plating on Zobell’s 2214E. Isolates were screened by means of RLFP and sequencing of representative 16S rDNAs. Using the restriction enzyme HaeIII, isolates were classified into 8 pattern group. The sequence results indicated that a high diversity of bacterial phylotypes was present within the coral Galaxea fascicularis. In general, there are three major groups of bacteria: (i) members of the division Firmicutes, (ii) Actinobacteria, and (iii) γ-proteobacteria. Phylogenetic data on microbial community composition in coral G. fascicularis will help in the rational selection of culture conditions to improve the diversity of bacteria and the knowledge on the physiological, biochemical, genetic, and molecular properties of coral bacteria