Search Here

Microorganism communities have been sustaining in the Gulf of Mexico even though the naturally-occurring oil seeps into the surface of water, says a new study. There are some parts of the ocean floor that consist of natural oil and gas deposits that sometimes make it to the surface in the form of seeps. As these substances gather in the surface of water, the start to form nutrient-rich bubbles. In a recent study featured in Journal Nature Geoscience, Columbia University researchers revealed that the phytoplankton, algae-like organisms, tend to accumulate near the Gulf of Mexico where the natural oil and gas seeps have been discovered.

Even though though oil and gas does not benefit the microorganisms, the researchers pointed out that the nutrients present in the bubbles attract them towards the seep formation. Phytoplankton community congregate in the Gulf area where the bubble formation happens so that they can feed on the nutrients that come along with it. "This is the beginning of evidence that some microbes in the Gulf may be preconditioned to survive with oil, at least at lower concentrations," oceanographer Ajit Subramaniam from Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said. He also explained that the phytoplankton community that they examined did not suffer due to low oil concentrations, suggesting that the microorganisms may have the natural ability to thrive in such an environment. However, he added that this doesn't mean that exposure to oil in any concentration is helpful for phytoplankton.

Aquatic ecologist, also the study co-author, Andy Juhl said that there is no direct impact of oil. However, he adds that there were instances where small amount of substance may get balanced by the positive impact of nutrients that comes with the oil, as reported by Tech Times