ABSTRACT
The world is teeming with millions of microbial species in a vast soup of life. Some microbes are “aerobic,” meaning they require oxygen for respiration in order to metabolize nutrients. Other microbes are “anaerobic,” meaning they use other atoms as electron acceptors during respiration, hence they can live in places that are depleted of oxygen. Furthermore, some of these microbes can metabolize hydrocarbonsthe stu of crude oil. Crude oil can be an environmental pollutant, both through the natural seepage of small amounts that accumulate over time and through occasional large, accidental spills during production, transportation, or renement. Certain aromatic compounds in these oils can be toxic to macrofauna. However, hydrocarbon-digesting, aerobic microbes are responsible for degrading oil in the open ocean. What about anaerobic environments? Naturally occurring hydrocarbon-digesting, anaerobic microbes might be the answer to biodegrading oil spills in anoxic environments. e trick is to nd these microbes, culture them, and introduce them when and where they are needed.
