ABSTRACT
Anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture, and hydrocarbon extraction lead to the uncontrolled and increased discharge of recalcitrant toxic compounds into the environment, representing a severe threat to ecosystem conservation and human health. Today, bioremediation techniques serve as environmentally friendly approaches to remove and degrade these compounds by using whole cells or their components, and biosurfactants are of particular interest. Biosurfactants are molecules of amphiphilic nature produced by microorganisms that are useful in the solubilization of hydrophobic organic compounds like hydrocarbons, facilitating their uptake to cells and, consequently, being used as substrates. Marine environments are considered extreme due to critical conditions like high atmospheric pressure, high salinity, nutrient scarcity, and various temperature scales depending on the depth, representing an exciting source of microorganisms with physiological and biochemical adaptations that lead to the production of important stable compounds like biosurfactants. This chapter offers an overview of the principal biosurfactant-producing marine bacteria, the structural characteristics of produced molecules, culture conditions implemented during biosurfactant production by marine strains, and biosurfactant applications in the bioremediation of different pollutants.
