Abstract
ABSTRACT All surficial sediment samples were obtained either from areas near oil production platforms or from control areas some distance from these platforms during three separate cruises. All samples contained organisms capable of degrading crude oil in laboratory microcosm studies. Under conditions designed to test oil-degrading potential in situ, rate of degradation was not appreciably influenced by temperature fluctuations within a range of 15 to 27°C, or oil concentration, nor was it increased by added phosphorus or nitrogen. The maximum oil-degrading potential of the sediments was calculated to be 56 micrograms hydrocarbon carbon converted to carbon dioxide per milliliter of sediment per day. Oxygen diffusion into the sediments appeared to be the rate-limiting factor. Enrichment cultures prepared from platform sediments were more active than enrichment cultures prepared from control sediments. Studies with mixed and pure cultures revealed substrate preference for straight-chain hydrocarbons over the branched-chain compounds and aromatics. Some high molecular weight straight-chain aliphatics (about C30) and large amounts of branched-chain (C24 or C25) aliphatics were produced by some pure cultures isolated from sediment samples.
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