Bioremediation Of Seawater Research Articles

Participation of the Green Algae Ulvaria obscura in Bioremediation of Sea Water from Oil Products.

Participation of green algae in bioremediation of sea water from oil products (OPs) has been studied. Decrease in the content of OPs in water is accompanied by their accumulation by the alga Ulvaria obscura (Chlorophyta). It has been assumed that neutralization of OPs in Ulvaria occurs, similarly to Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyta), all over the thallome: destruction of OPs starts on the alga surface by epiphytic hydrocarbonoxidizing bacteria providing absorption and subsequent degradation of OPs by plant cells. The role of macrophytes in bioremediation of coastal areas from OPs is considerably higher than previously supposed.

Initial community and environment determine the response of bacterial communities to dispersant and oil contamination

Bioremediation of seawater by natural bacterial communities is one potential response to coastal oil spills, but the success of the approach may vary, depending on geographical location, oil composition and the timing of spill. The short term response of coastal bacteria to dispersant, oil and dispersed oil was characterized using 16S rRNA gene tags in two mesocosm experiments conducted two months apart. Despite differences in the amount of oil-derived alkanes across the treatments and experiments, increases in the contributions of hydrocarbon degrading taxa and decreases in common estuarine bacteria were observed in response to dispersant and/or oil. Between the two experiments, the direction and rates of changes in particulate alkane concentrations differed, as did the magnitude of the bacterial response to oil and/or dispersant. Together, our data underscore large variability in bacterial responses to hydrocarbon pollutants, implying that bioremediation success varies with starting biological and environmental conditions.