Marine biofilm communities that developed on artificial substrata were investigated using molecular and microscopic approaches. Polystyrene, Teflon® and four antifouling (AF) paints were immersed for 2 weeks at two contrasting sites near Toulon on the French Mediterranean coast (Toulon military harbour and the natural protected area of Porquerolles Island). Biofilms comprising bacteria and diatoms were detected on all the coatings. The population structure as well as the densities of the microorganisms differed in terms of both sites and coatings. Lower fouling densities were observed at Porquerolles Island compared to Toulon harbour. All bacterial communities (analysed by PCR-DGGE) showed related structure, controlled both by the sites and the type of substrata. Pioneer microalgal communities were dominated by the same two diatom species, viz. Licmophora gracilis and Cylindrotheca closterium, at both sites, irrespective of the substrata involved. However, the density of diatoms followed the same trend at both sites with a significant effect of all the AF coatings compared to Teflon and polystyrene.

The potential for surfactant production by the extreme halophilic archaeon Haloferax sp. MSNC14 in the presence of individual hydrocarbon substrates was studied. This strain was selected for its ability to grow on different types of hydrocarbons at high NaCl concentrations. Linear (n-heptadecane or C17) and isoprenoid (pristane) alkanes, a polyaromatic hydrocarbon (phenanthrene) and ammonium acetate (highly water-soluble control compound) were used as growth substrates. The adherence potential was demonstrated by the ability of the cells to adhere to liquid or solid hydrocarbons. The biosurfactant production was indicated by the reduction of the surface tension (ST) and by the emulsification activity (EA) of cell-free supernatants. Growth on acetate was accompanied by a low EA (lower than 0.1) and a high ST (~70 mN/m), whereas an important EA (up to 0.68 ± 0.08) and a reduction of ST (down to 32 ± 2.3 mN/m) were observed during growth on the different hydrocarbons. Both ST and EA varied with the growth phase. The adhesion to hydrocarbons was higher when cells were grown on C17 (by 60-70 %) and pristane (by 30-50 %) than on phenanthrene (~25 %). The results demonstrated that strain MNSC14 was able to increase the bioavailability of insoluble hydrocarbons, thus facilitating their uptake and their biodegradation even at high salt concentration.