OIL EATING MICROBES???

Yes - there are oil eating microbes that will (eventually) degrade most of the oil into relatively harmless by products. However, the idea that most of the oil has already been consumed by microbes seems dubious to me. My suspicion is that much of the oil is dispersed through the water column due to both the chemical dispersant that were used and natural mixing. I further suspect that we'll see many effects on the entire ecosystem that will subside on a scale of 10's of years (as opposed to 10's of weeks since this all got started).
 
Mother Nature is showing just how resiliant she really is...





...contrary to all the dooms-dayers, "the media" etc. After all, no news is good news and "the media" hates that and the dooms-dayers can't justify their agendas if Mother Nature does what she does.
 
Good timely topic.

We have to be encouraged by the fact that the warm gulf which has experienced some leaking oil throughout history (before mankind = BP, Exon, Mobile, etc;), has ready made microbes that not only eat oil, they love it!!

All I can say is go Alcanivorax borkumensis and any additional newly evolved oil eating organisms.

Y'all can put out timelines if y'all want to but I don't think ANYONE really knows the extent of what has happened or the length of time before normalcy returns.

Time will tell, and in the mean time go Alcanivorax borkumensis.

Dan
 
I recall 1st hearing about this on the Rush Limbaugh show about 2 years ago. I wonder if they will work on the oil spill we have in Grand Rapids. There is a company that sells a dry microbe powder for cleaning oil off of garage floors. A light dusting is supposed to all that's needed and it takes about 2 days with no scrubbing. Cool stuff.
 
RE: Time scales - From the last paragraph in the article linked to by B2

Regardless, the oil will linger in the environment for a long time. The microbes break down hydrocarbons in "weeks to months to years, depending on the compounds and concentrations—not hours or days," Atlas notes. "Much of the real tar or asphalt compounds are not readily subject to microbial attack…. Tar tends to persist. Asphalt tends to persist."

Adds Valentine: "We wouldn't make roads out of them if the bacteria ate them."
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seabeagle":1aghc4qe said:
I recall 1st hearing about this on the Rush Limbaugh show about 2 years ago.
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:lol: Listening to RL. That's not allowed. :wink:

There is a company that sells a dry microbe powder for cleaning oil off of garage floors. A light dusting is supposed to all that's needed and it takes about 2 days with no scrubbing. Cool stuff.
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This stuff works; I've used in in my driveway which is aggregate concrete. I removed a large stain of 90 weight tranny oil that had soaked into my new concrete.
http://www.pour-n-restore.com/oilstain.htm
 
A little geological perspective - time is the major factor. Yes, some microbes consume organics - good thing, too, or the remains of those dinosaurs would sure stink. Right, microbes do the job - but it does take some time. Standing downwind from a brontosaurus cadaver, some hundreds of millions of years ago, it sure STUNK.

Same with the gulf oil - yep, microbes will do the job. But, as others have already said, time is the major factor. Sad when an article implies 'no problem - microbes will do it all. - just media hype.' Tell that to an oil-drenched pelican or nesting heron or a bed of oysters.

Perhaps geologists have a different perspective of time - hmmm - "the Tetons are blocking the sunset - no problem - every raindrop is eroding them down - they will solve my problem" And they will.
 
"You may have noticed that the less I know about a subject the more confidence I have, and the more new light I throw on it."
Mark Twain, "3,000 Years Among the Microbes", 1905
 
Report on this morning's news that the government is reporting that 75% of the oil is gone, either through reclamation efforts of natural process.

I thought that was good news!
 
great
I heard last night more Louisana fishing and shrimp areas were being opened.

I have been looking for estimates on the amount of oil that is below 100'. Oil on the bottom of the sea floor takes long for bacteria to breakdown
 
I have become very skeptical of anything our government tells us.I have trouble understanding that 75% of the largest oil spill in the world has been cleaned up in just a few weeks.

Something like the doctor with the big needle telling you that this won't hurt.

I am sure that Washington will send a lawyer to check things out and reassure us.---RIGHT!
 
B²":c9l8myfk said:
Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
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Brent-

:lol: :lol: :lol:

A microbiologist's joke, for sure, but enjoyable for all! :mrgreen:

Keep your Petri covered, it's the law, you know! :shock:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
teflonmom":3f1y6ufp said:
I have become very skeptical of anything our government tells us.I have trouble understanding that 75% of the largest oil spill in the world has been cleaned up in just a few weeks.

Something like the doctor with the big needle telling you that this won't hurt.

I am sure that Washington will send a lawyer to check things out and reassure us.---RIGHT!
Click to expand...

Maybe the spill wasn't as big as they told us. Guess they won't need all of that BP shakedown money and can give them a refund.
 
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