Gulf of Mexico Spill:Effect of Crude Oil on Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Genetics and Heredity
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Introduction The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is unique than previous spills as it occurred in deep waters following an explosion of an oil rig. With the release of oil deepwater scientists have focused on utilizing microbes to clean up the spills with oil dispersants  being utilized to break down the oil into tinier droplets making it easier for the oil eating microbes to improve microbial degradation.  Crude oil has contaminated the marine environment, even as scientists look into ways to genetically modify the oil eating microbes to speed up oil degradation. Part I - Influence of Crude Oil on prokaryotes

1. Which bacterial species in the Biello and Robinson articles appeared to be most effective at breaking down the crude oil?  Do you think these results would be different in an anaerobic environment? 

While there are various microbes that biodegrade oil and its product the Alcanivorax bacteria was mentioned as one of the most effective oil eating microbe. It is particularly useful when there is oxygen and including oil near the water surface, and requires nitrogen and phosphorus to speed up the oil breakdown process.  Other microbes include Vibrio and Pseudomonads, are also effective to break down the oil and clean up water (Biello, 2010). The presence of enzymes and oxygen makes it easier for the oil eating bacteria to breakdown the crude oil. In the deeper water the anaerobic microbes are most effective where there are low oxygen levels. When the microbes breakdown the hydrocarbons there is oxygen depletion because of bacteria degradation,  and it takes longer for the anaerobic microbes to consume the petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants  as metabolism is also slower.

1. Do you think there could be negative effects from using multiple bacterial species with different enzymatic abilities to degrade an oil spill?

 While the aim of biodegradation of the cured oil is a priority as a cleanup exercise, it is necessary to know how the different microbes affect the degradation process and how the microbes interact.  The rate of degradation may increase when multiple bacteria species are utilized, but there is likelihood that this will reduce biodegradation efficiency.  Additionally, the action of some of the microorganisms may be slowed down when there are various species with different enzymatic abilities. This is especially when some reach faster because of certain enzymes, while they may not be the most efficient to degrade the oil. Petroleum hydrocarbons are toxic to marine life, and some bacterial species are more specialized in hydrocarbon degradation more than others. Part II - Influence of Crude Oil on eukaryotes Thunnusthynnus (Atlantic Bluefin Tuna)

1. Provide an overview of the documented effects of crude oil on Thunnusthynnus 

 In a study by Byrd (2014) it was reported that one of the effects of exposure to crude oil for the Thunnusthynnus is heart failure.  For the fish embryo and larva had problems with heart contraction as well as...