Bacteria devoured methane from gulf oil spill, study shows (LA Times)

[pinto]

Bacteria devoured methane from gulf oil spill, study shows

The finding surprises scientists, who say the gas was consumed much more quickly than expected.

By Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times
January 6, 2011

Scientists investigating the fate of the oil and natural gas that spewed into the Gulf of Mexico during last year's BP spill established quickly that bacteria had consumed much of the propane and ethane that leaked from the well.

Now they have found that bacteria also made short order of the most abundant hydrocarbon released during the spill — methane — probably consuming most of the 200,000 tons the well ejected within 120 days of the onset of the leak from the ruptured well, according to research published Thursday in the journal Science.

The discovery was a surprise, said David Valentine, a professor of microbial geochemistry at UC Santa Barbara and a member of the research team.

"We expected it to stick around a year or more," he said. "But by September, the methane had been reduced to background levels."

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-sci-gulf-bacteria-20110105,0,3014497.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews+%28L.A.+Times+-+Top+News%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

[AlabamaLibrul]

1. But but but the oil's all gone!

[pinto]

11. I don't think anyone's claiming the oil is all gone. Just a study on the role of bacteria

in limiting hydrocarbons from the well failure - methane primarily. Another piece of the picture...

:hi:

[Taverner]

2. I've always thought bacteria could be put to use in the Russian permafrost

Now that we know, our governments aren't going to do a thing to stop climate change

[TheMadMonk]

12. Big difference between waters at a temp in the mid to high 20s and...

...hovering around freezing. 100? 1000 fold difference in metabolic rates?

[Taverner]

18. Maybe we need a good ol' gene splice

:evilgrin:

Splice in that antarctic bacteria into some benign bacteria that eats methane.

Of course, I could see them rising up in ten years and taking over

[cbc5g]

3. Bacteria serves an important purpose in our bodies as well

Chronically taking antibiotics will wreck your health.

[Historic NY]

4. I do know bacteria is what causes your asphalt driveway to disintegrate....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510151916.htm

I recall having a conversation with my old geology professor about developing a anti-bacterial treatment that woulds extend the service life of pavement. I guess I'm not surprised.

[Turbineguy]

5. The microbes

that exist in the oil-water interphase excrete acids. So it isn't a free lunch.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. +1

ya beat me to it

[kestrel91316]

7. Bacteria are, once again, our FRIENDS. I wonder what this means for

the methane clathrate/hydrate/whatever/ice that is thawing and rising from the ocean depths due to global warming? Could the lowly bacteria save our bacon from catastrophic methane releases??

[lunatica]

8. This is good news. The planet has all the necessary equipment

But I wonder if down the line these very bacteria will be a problem.

[aquart]

9. As in, they'll win, we'll lose?

[lunatica]

13. Mother Nature tends to be a mixed bag

who knows what will happen as evidenced by these bacteria.

[hootinholler]

10. Coming soon at Red Lobster... n/t

[Kip Humphrey]

14. OK.. Here's a test: When you fart in a bathtub, where does the methane go?

A. It is eaten by bacteria and disappears.
B. Being lighter than water or air, it is released into the atmosphere adding to the existing greenhouse gases becoming part of what is otherwise termed, "background levels".
C. I goes up my nose and is recycled.

[Vinnie From Indy]

17. Perfect!

Not having read the article, I wonder if the possibility that the methane, once released, could have simply bubbled to the surface and into the atmosphere?

[Joanne98]

15. I don't know if I'm buying this! I'll wait to see if they got paid off by BP!

Before I believe it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. And the bacteria will eventually evolve into a sludge monster!