Influence of salts and sodium chloride on the recovery ofEscherichia coli from seawater

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of seawater salts, and more specially sodium chloride, on the recovery ofEscherichia coli cells after exposure to natural seawater in laboratory microcosms, and the possible adaptation in this bacterium to high salinity. The recovery efficiency of a complex organic medium supplemented with sodium chloride largely depended on the strain and varied with starvation time and salinity. Moreover, cells previously grown on salted medium appeared more able to survive after exposure to seawater. It is assumed that, withinE. coli populations, some cells are able to adapt to seawater in the presence of both salts and organic matter.