Oil-eating bacteria may determine environmental impact of Gulf oil

It points out that the oil-eating bacteria are beneficial in helping to clear away the oil. Their activity, however, could eventually pose risks to the Gulf's ecosystem, particularly in the deep ocean. The oil acts as a huge source of food and could produce bacteria “blooms,” or massive population explosions. As the blooms die and decay, they remove oxygen from the Gulf water, jeopardizing the health of fish and other aquatic animals.

The article discusses scientific research underway to shed light on the bacteria's effects. It notes that the oxygen depletion so far is not as serious as the Gulf of Mexico's infamous “dead zone,” an 8,000 square mile area — about the size of New Jersey — with oxygen levels too low for fish to survive. The Gulf's oil plumes cause nearly a 35 percent oxygen drop compared to a 90 percent drop in that dead zone.

ARTICLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “Microbes to the Rescue”
This story is available at http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/88/8832sci1.html