Genetic Diversity of Marine and Fresh Water Cyanobacteria from the Gujarat State of India

Abstract

Cyanobacteria from habitats within Gujarat have been poorly studied with regard to their diversity. In the present investigation eight morphologically distinct cyanobacterial isolates were obtained and characterized from the fresh water and marine habitats. Identification was performed based on morphological features and on 16S rDNA sequences analysis. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA sequence of cyanobacterial isolates was prepared. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the eight morphologically distinct isolates into two distinct groups thus highlighting the importance of both morphological and genetic methods in studying cyanobacterial diversity.