Plumbing the depths

Lessons from the Deepwater Horizon DisasterImage: BP

The low hanging fruit is gone…

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Resources from the deep

Drilling for crude oil

Mining for metals and minerals

Image: Geoexpro.com

Kerr-McGee 1947

Off-shore drilling goes deep

Image: Maritime Press Clipping

3D Sonar 1990s

Now…and Future

Image: The Swordpress

The challenge….

Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico, April - July 2010

Images: Wikipedia, SunSentinel.com, DaveTyner.com, WUWT.com

4.1 million barrels

Images: Boston.com, Guardian.co.uk

1. Was the spill consumed by microbes?

2. If so, how much did they consume?

Image: ProjectGulfImpact

Microbial consumption of the oil spillBiodegradation - Bioremediation

Scientific response

Images: Jamstec, U.RhodeIsland, NOAA

51%

5%3%

41%

oil

methane

propane ethane

Total composition of spill

Image: Reddy et al. PNAS 2011

- Natural Gas(methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane)

- Oil(water soluble and insoluble)

Naturally occurring microbes “eat” oil and natural gas

EatOil and Gas

BreatheOxygen

Images: Altogen.com, Sciencephotos.com, Chemical and Engineering News

What were they measuring?

1. Location of spill in water column

2. Bloom of oil-eating microbes

3. Evidence of biodegradation

Image: GulfOilPhotos.com

Location of spill in the water column

Image: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Surface Slick

Water-insoluble chemicals

Deep PlumeGasWater-soluble chemicals

1100m

35km

Oil Well

Images:Microbial Life Educational Resources, Wikipedia

Microbial Blooms – familiar examples

Red tide Lake algal bloom

Bloom of oil and gas consuming microbes?

BLOOM

Oil/Gas Oxygen

Before spill During/after spill

Survey of microbes in plume

Decreasing concentrations of propane, ethane, butane BUT NOT METHANE

Chemical evidence of biodegradation2X more microbes inside plume than outside plume

Found types of bacteria known to degrade propane, ethane and oil

Hazen et al. Science 2010

Higher oxygen outside plume

Lower oxygen inside plume

Experiments

Measured rate at which microbes eat from the plume and oil slick, as well as rate of breathing

Sample from plume or slick

Incubation bottle

Measure the change in oil, gas

Results of Experiments

Deep Plume

PropaneButaneEthaneCrude OilMethane

Surface Slick

Surface slick components

Two months post-spill

Eat methane

BreatheOxygen

Methanotrophs?

methane plume is goneBUT decreased oxygen remains!

Oil Well

Controversy – microbial degradation of methane?

Stay tuned…this has not been resolved

No evidence for methanotrophsDecrease in oxygen not caused by methanotrophs

Methanotrophs

Methanotrophs ate 99% of methane

1. Was the spill consumed by microbes?

2. If so, how much did they consume?

Image: ProjectGulfImpact

YES! (some parts)

Still not sure…

Images: NASA, MARUM, Costeau.org

Does this apply to the rest of the ocean?

Thank you!Next up: Heather – Studying the Sea