Antifouling Activity of Bacterial Symbionts of Seagrasses against Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria

Bintang Marhaeni1,2, Ocky Karna Radjasa3, 4*, Miftahuddin Majid Khoeri3, Agus Sabdono4, Dietriech G. Bengen1, Herawati Sudoyo3

1Graduate School of Marine Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia;
2Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Soedirman University, Purwokerto, Central Java, Indonesia;
3Marine Microbiology Unit, Eijkman Institute for Mo-lecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia;
4Department of Marine Science, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia.
Email: ocky_radjasa@undip.ac.id

ABSTRACT
Marine biofouling has been regarded as a serious problem in the marine environment. The application of TBT and other heavy metal-based antifoulants has created another environmental problem. The present study explored the possi- ble role of baterial symbionts of seagrasses Thalassia hemprichii, and Enhalus acoroides, which were successfully screened for antifouling activity against marine biofilm-forming bacteria isolated from the surrounding colonies of seagrasses. Bacterial symbionts were isolated and tested against biofilm-forming bacteria resulted in 4 bacterial sym- bionts capable of inhibiting the growth biofilm-forming isolates. Molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene se- quences revealed that the active bacterial symbionts belonged to the members of the genera Bacillus and Virgibacillus. Further tests of the crude extracts of the active bacterial symbionts supported the potential of these symbionts as the alternative source of environmentally friendly marine antifoulants.

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