Gluttonous Microbes Devour Gulf Oil

Not too long ago it seemed that the Gulf oil spill nightmare would never end - All of BP's efforts to stop the leak kept failing and even after they succeeded, experts fretted about the clean-up and the impact on the region's wildlife. Now, it seems nature has joined us in our clean-up efforts in the form of a gluttonous oil-eating bacteria.

Discovered in the Gulf by scientists whilst they were studying the dispersion of oil during this latest disaster, the new species of bacteria are closely related to petroleum-degrading microbes called Oceanospirillales, and are believed to have existed on the ocean floor for millions of years - quietly gobbling up the constant seepage of oil that occurs from region's wells.

The new influx of oil has helped the microbes multiply rapidly and recent tests done by a team of scientists led by UC Berkley's microbiologist Terry Hazen, has revealed that they are all amalgamating inside the oil plumes and breaking it down. While that doesn't mean all the oil will be gone in a week, it is being dispersed much faster than had been anticipated.

And it get's better - Since microbes use oxygen and emit carbon dioxide when they metabolize the oil hydrocarbons, scientists were concerned that the oil dispersion would result in many oxygen-depleted zones, making it almost impossible for fish to thrive again.

However, the studies have concluded that this new bacteria called gamma-proteobacteria, seems to not only thrive at depths of 4,000ft. in the freezing cold waters, but also, are much more efficient at metabolizing - and are therefore using less oxygen than had been anticipated.

The results of these findings and those of other tests performed, has led experts to believe that things may get back to normal faster than everybody had thought - All we can say is Yippeee!

sources: sciencemag.org,sfist.org