Cytobacillus kochii from marine environment. Isolation and characterization of Cytobacillus kochii from marine environment

This study was conducted to evaluate the hydrocarbon-degrading potential of bacteria isolated from oil contaminated marine environments and to identify the bacterial species. The research methodology involved the isolation of indigenous bacteria from oil-polluted seawater, followed by an assessment of their hydrocarbon degradation potential using the disc diffusion method, where the formation of clear zones indicated hydrocarbon degradation. Subsequently, molecular identification was performed using 16S rDNA sequencing. The isolation process yielded two bacterial isolates, designated as B1 and B2. Molecular identification through 16S rDNA analysis revealed that isolate B1 exhibited 98.87% similarity to Cytobacillus kochii, while isolate B2 showed 100% similarity to Bacillus sp. Hb-0708.