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Fifty-two bacteria were isolated from seawater collected in Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea, Russia, and classified by 16S rDNA sequencing. Most of the strains belonged to ubiquitous microorganisms. Pseudomonas was the most abundant genus (21 strains), including species of P. fluorescens, P. putida and P. syringae. Serratia was also common (10 strains) with species S. plymuthica and S. proteamaculans. Sphingobacterium, Flavobacterium and Pantoea were less represented (5, 3 and 2 strains, respectively). The only typical bacterium of marine Arctic regions was Shewanella baltica. The strains were tested for their optimal growth temperature in the range 0-45°C. The majority appeared to be psychrotolerant (42%) or mesophilic-psychrotolerant (40%). In addition, one strain ( Bacillus pumilus) showed a rather narrow mesophilic profile. No true psychrophilic bacteria were found. Most of the strains showed a classical curve with fast growth decrease above the optimum; some others displayed uncommon flat curves with scarce differences between maximum and minimum of growth in a wide range of temperatures. Moreover, few strains presented an unusual profile being, in relation to the optimum, more tolerant to high rather than low temperatures. Preferences of the Kandalaksha Bay strains are generally different from those reported in literature for the same species: optima were at lower temperatures and, sometimes, ranges were broader showing increased eurythermism. This could indicate adaptation to the wide temperature variations recorded in this peculiar environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]