Microbial prospection of communities that produce biosurfactants from the water column and sediments of the Gulf of Mexico.

Microbial communities capable of hydrocarbon degradation linked to biosurfactant (BS) and bioemulsifier (BE) production are basically unexplored in the Gulf of México (GOM). In this work, the BS and BE production of culturable marine bacterial hydrocarbonoclasts consortia isolated from two sites (the Perdido Fold Belt and Coatzacoalcos area) was investigated. The prospection at different locations and depths led to the screening and isolation of a wide variety of bacterial consortia with BS and BE activities, after culture enrichment with crude oil and glycerol as the carbon sources.