Bioprospecting Marine Invertebrate-Associated Bacteria for Polyethylene Biodegradation in Indonesian Coastal Waters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69855/science.v3i4.850Keywords:
Bioprospecting, Invertebrate-Associated Bacteria, Polyethylene, Marine InvertebratesAbstract
Polyethylene (PE) persists in marine environments because of its chemical inertness. Marine invertebrate-associated bacteria may provide enzymes capable of transforming this polymer, but their potential in Indonesian waters remains underexplored. This study isolated, identified, and evaluated bacteria associated with sponges, ascidians, and holothurians from four coastal sites in West Sumatra. Thirty-seven distinct isolates were recovered from 34 of 42 specimens using enrichment culture with PE film as the only added carbon source. Seven representative isolates were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Vibrio. After 60 days, SSP-03 (Rhodococcus sp.) exhibited the highest PE weight loss (22.3 ± 1.8%), followed by SBB-07 (Bacillus sp., 18.9 ± 1.6%) and SAM-12 (Pseudomonas sp., 14.6 ± 1.4%), compared with 1.3 ± 0.3% in the control. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed increased carbonyl indices, indicating surface oxidation. These findings demonstrate PE biodeterioration, not complete biodegradation, and highlight marine invertebrate-associated bacteria as promising biocatalyst candidates.
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