Predominant growth of Alcanivorax strains in oil‐contaminated and nutrient‐supplemented sea water

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Abstract
Summary: We found that bacteria closely related to Alcanivorax became a dominant bacterial population in petroleum‐contaminated sea water when nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients were supplied in adequate quantity. The predominance of Alcanivorax bacteria was demonstrated under three experimental conditions: (i) in batch cultures of sea water containing heavy oil; (ii) in columns packed with oil‐coated gravel undergoing a continuous sea water flow; and (iii) in a large‐scale tidal flux reactor that mimics a beach undergoing tidal cycles with fresh sea water. These results suggest that bacteria related to Alcanivorax are major players in the bioremediation of oil‐contaminated marine environments.