Meet the Microbes Eating the Gulf Oil Spill [Slide Show]
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 09:14
in Earth & Climate
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill added roughly 800 million liters of hydrocarbons to the Gulf of Mexico. One quarter of that has been burned, captured or skimmed, according to U.S. government estimates. That leaves the rest for trillions of microbes to feast on--a petroleum cornucopia that first became available April 20 when the oil platform exploded and the spill started. [More] Oil spill - Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon - Environment - Federal government of the United States