A CARD–FISH protocol for the identification and enumeration of epiphytic bacteria on marine algae

A CARD–FISH protocol was developed and applied to analyse surface-associated bacteria on the marine algae Ulva lactuca, Delisea pulchra, Corallina officinalis, Amphiroa anceps, Porphyra sp. and Sargassum linearifolium. The combination of Alexa546-labelled tyramide as the reporter molecule with SYBR Green II counterstain allowed for superior detection of the hybridised probe fluorescence against plant tissue from which pigment autofluorescence has been reduced.