The sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit led to the uncontrolled release of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico with significant impacts on the Gulf's ecosystem.  The discharged petroleum contained thousands of distinct compounds each with different physical and chemical properties and thus different pathways of transport and different susceptibilities toward microbial degradation.  This paper will explore the relationship between the molecular complexity of the discharge and the microbial response, with a focus on deep ocean processes.

Hydrocarbon biodegradation following Deepwater Horizon: A microbial-chemical point of view

245th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.