Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes
The Deepwater Horizon accident resulted in a substantial uncontrolled hydrocarbon release to the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which was entrained in deep submerged plumes. While bio-degradation of the hydrocarbons has been inferred from microbial biomass and genetics, the amount of conversion of...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045301 |
| _version_ | 1797748437052030976 |
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| author | Alan M Shiller DongJoo Joung |
| author_facet | Alan M Shiller DongJoo Joung |
| author_sort | Alan M Shiller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Deepwater Horizon accident resulted in a substantial uncontrolled hydrocarbon release to the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which was entrained in deep submerged plumes. While bio-degradation of the hydrocarbons has been inferred from microbial biomass and genetics, the amount of conversion of oil and gas carbon to biomass remains uncertain having only been estimated in modeling studies. Here we examine correlated depletions of nitrate, phosphate and oxygen in the submerged plumes and conclude that a substantial portion of hydrocarbons in these plumes was converted to biomass (0.8–2 × 10 ^10 mol C). This contrasts with nutrient-limited surface waters where other work has suggested hydrocarbon-induced microbial growth to have been minimal. Our results suggest the need for better monitoring of changes in nutrients as well as study of nutrient recycling in similar future hydrocarbon releases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:04:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90a35dd7b07a47a283990b8bb14998f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:04:44Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-90a35dd7b07a47a283990b8bb14998f32023-08-09T14:24:16ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262012-01-017404530110.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045301Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumesAlan M Shiller0DongJoo Joung1Department of Marine Science, The University of Southern Mississippi , 1020 Balch Boulevard, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529, USADepartment of Marine Science, The University of Southern Mississippi , 1020 Balch Boulevard, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529, USAThe Deepwater Horizon accident resulted in a substantial uncontrolled hydrocarbon release to the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which was entrained in deep submerged plumes. While bio-degradation of the hydrocarbons has been inferred from microbial biomass and genetics, the amount of conversion of oil and gas carbon to biomass remains uncertain having only been estimated in modeling studies. Here we examine correlated depletions of nitrate, phosphate and oxygen in the submerged plumes and conclude that a substantial portion of hydrocarbons in these plumes was converted to biomass (0.8–2 × 10 ^10 mol C). This contrasts with nutrient-limited surface waters where other work has suggested hydrocarbon-induced microbial growth to have been minimal. Our results suggest the need for better monitoring of changes in nutrients as well as study of nutrient recycling in similar future hydrocarbon releases.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045301Deepwater Horizonhydrocarbon degradationGulf of Mexicooil spillnutrientsoxygen |
| spellingShingle | Alan M Shiller DongJoo Joung Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes Environmental Research Letters Deepwater Horizon hydrocarbon degradation Gulf of Mexico oil spill nutrients oxygen |
| title | Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes |
| title_full | Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes |
| title_fullStr | Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes |
| title_short | Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes |
| title_sort | nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in deepwater horizon subsurface oil gas plumes |
| topic | Deepwater Horizon hydrocarbon degradation Gulf of Mexico oil spill nutrients oxygen |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045301 |
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