We have begun a preliminary investigation to examine how the degradation of crude oil by marine fungi is influenced by different environmental parameters including temperature (4-40°C), salinity (32-38%<sub>○</sub>) and pH (3-12). Three different isolates of filamentous fungi of the division <i>Ascomycota </i>were adapted to grow on an Artificial Seawater (ASW) minimal medium supplemented with crude oil. After incubation for eight weeks, the change in oil quantity and composition was examined via gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). An overall decrease in the amount of total oil was observed in all experiments where fungi were present. Specific attention was paid to the degradation of straight-chain alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compared to changes in temperature, salinity and pH. Overall we aim to use this data to investigate how environmental parameters influence oil degradation by marine fungi as well as assess any variation that may be observed between individual fungal isolates.

Exploring the environmental controls on the degradation of oil by marine fungi

249th National Meeting (2015)

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