Marine salterns being coastal ecosystems are known to harbor halotolerant bacteria (which grow at less than 20 psu, i.e., 0.2 M NaCl), which perhaps gain entry from terrestrial ecosystems but have eventually adapted to hypersaline conditions with time. However autochthonous halophilic bacteria, (grow at 20e300 psu;0.25 Me5.1 M NaCl) have an obligate requirement of salt for growth