Bioremediation of marine oil spills

Bioremediation is a potentially important option for dealing with marine oil spills. Oil-degrading microorganisms are indigenous to the world's oceans, but environmental constraints limit their activity and so a bioremediation strategy must be tailored to local conditions. While an oil slick is at sea, its biodegradation is likely to be surface-area limited and can be stimulated by employing dispersants. However, if oil reaches a shoreline, alternative options are needed. The addition of fertilizer nutrients has been successful in stimulating oil biodegradation in oligotrophic conditions, and suggests opportunities for designing alternative strategies for other environments.