Culturable bacterial diversity of seven marine sediment samples of Kongsfjorden and a sediment and a soil sample from Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic was studied. The bacterial abundance in the marine sediments of Kongsfjorden varied marginally (0.5 x 10(3)-1.3 x 10(4) cfu/g sediment) and the bacterial number in the two samples collected from the shore of Ny-Alesund also was very similar (0.6 x 10(4) and 3.4 x 10(4), respectively). From the nine samples a total of 103 bacterial isolates were obtained and these isolates could be grouped in to 47 phylotypes based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence belonging to 4 phyla namely Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Representatives of the 47 phylotypes varied in their growth temperature range (4-37 degrees C), in their tolerance to NaCl (0.3-2 M NaCl) and growth pH range (2-11). Representatives of 26 phylotypes exhibited amylase and lipase activity either at 5 or 20 degrees C or at both the temperatures. A few of the representatives exhibited amylase and/or lipase activity only at 5 degrees C. None of the phylotypes exhibited protease activity. Most of the phylotypes (38) were pigmented. Fatty acid profile studies indicated that short chain fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, branched fatty acids, the cyclic and the cis fatty acids are predominant in the psychrophilic bacteria.