An estuarine agar medium for enumeration of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria associated with water, sediment, and shellfish

Abstract

A plate count agar was formulated for use in bacteriological analysis of estuarine samples and was tested together with standard plate count agar and an estuarine salts yeast extract agar for growth of aerobic, heterotrophic bacteria in water, sediment, and oysters. The estuarine agar was found to be efficient for enumerating aerobic, heterotrophic bacterial populations of water, sediment, and oysters, and is recommended for plate counts of estuarine samples.