Seasonal distribution of bdellovibrios at the mouth of the Patuxent River in the Chesapeake Bay.

Water samples taken at monthly intervals from three sites in the mouth of the Patuxent River in the Chesapeake Bay were cultured for bdellovibrios lytic to Vibrio parahaemolyticus and for total viable bacterial counts. The number of bdellovibrios recovered decreased from the spring months (April, May, June (AMJ) until very few were detected during the winter months (January, February, March (JFM), which also coincided with the lowest water temperatures. During the AMJ season there was a significant increase as compared with the JFM season in the number of bdellovibrios for all sites. The highest number of bdellovibrios was recovered during each season from the shoreline water sample, with one exception. The seasonal variation in the number of bdellovibrios was observed to correlate statistically with the water temperature.