Marine bacteria in Canadian Arctic capable of biodegrading diesel and
oil

Date:
August 11, 2021
Source:
American Society for Microbiology
Summary:
Marine bacteria in the frigid waters of the Canadian Arctic
are capable of biodegrading oil and diesel fuel, according to a
new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Marine bacteria in the frigid waters of the Canadian Arctic are capable
of biodegrading oil and diesel fuel, according to a new study published
in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American
Society for Microbiology.


========================================================================== Genomic sequencing revealed unexpected potential for hydrocarbon
bioremediation in lineages of bacteria including Paraperlucidibaca, Cycloclasticus, and Zhongshania, said coauthor Casey Hubert, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Geomicrobiology, University of Calgary. These
"may represent key players in the response to Arctic marine oil spills."
"The study also confirmed that providing nutrients can enhance hydrocarbon biodegradation under these low temperature conditions," said Dr. Hubert.

The impetus for this work: "These permanently cold waters are seeing
increasing industrial activity related to maritime shipping and offshore
oil and gas sector activities," said Dr. Hubert.

Sean Murphy, Dr. Hubert's student, who grew up in the region, instigated
the project. Mr. Murphy, Aquatic Scientist, ERM Canada, had noted both
the benefit offshore oil had brought to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, but had been deeply troubled by the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill, and had focused his masters research on the Labrador Sea to "help
inform future oil spill mitigation strategies... at cold temperatures
in the region." The Labrador coast -- where the study took place --
is important for Indigenous peoples who rely on the ocean for food,
and that unlike at lower latitudes, there's been a dearth of research
on bioremediation this far north, Dr. Hubert noted.

"As climate change extends ice-free periods and increasing industrial
activity takes place in the Arctic, it is important to understand the
ways in which the Arctic marine microbiome will respond if there is
an oil or fuel spill," said Dr. Hubert. That's especially important,
as "this region remains vast and remote such that oil spill emergency
response would be complicated and slow." In the study, the investigators simulated oil spill remediation inside of bottles, by combining mud from
the top few centimeters of seabed with artificial seawater, and with
either diesel or crude oil, along with different nutrient amendments at different concentrations.

The experiments were performed at 4DEGC, to approximate the temperature
in the Labrador Sea, and took place over several weeks. "Our simulations demonstrated that naturally occurring oil-degrading bacteria in the ocean represent nature's first responders to an oil spill," said Dr. Hubert.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
American_Society_for_Microbiology. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sean M. C. Murphy, Mari'a A. Bautista, Margaret A. Cramm, Casey
R. J.

Hubert. Biodegradation of diesel and crude oil by Labrador Sea
cold adapted microbial communities. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology, 2021; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00800-21 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210811131602.htm

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