Occurrence and Activity of Lipolytic Bacterioneuston and Bacterioplankton in the Estuarine Lake Gardno

The number and lipolytic activity of neustonic and planktonic bacteria inhabiting estuarine Lake Gardno were determined. Lipolytic bacteria were very numerous in investigated layers of water, accounting for 10–88% of the total number of culturable heterotrophic bacteria. Significant differences were found in the decomposition of individual lipid substrates by bacteria. The highest percentage of neustonic and planktonic strains were able to hydrolyse tributyrin and Tween 85. The least numerous bacteria group was microflora hydrolysing Tween 20 and Tween 40. The activity of lipases synthesized by bacteria from the subsurface layer was higher than that of lipases produced by bacteria isolated from the surface layers. A significant effect of salinity on the activity of lipases has been shown.