Metagenomic profiling of halites from the Atacama Desert: an extreme environment with natural perchlorate does not promote high diversity of perchlorate reducing microorganisms.

We surveyed the presence of perchlorate-reducing microorganisms in available metagenomic data of halite environments from the Atacama Desert, an extreme environment characterized by high perchlorate concentrations, intense ultraviolet radiation, saline and oxidizing soils, and severe desiccation. While the presence of perchlorate might suggest a broad community of perchlorate reducers or a high abundance of a dominant taxa, our search reveals a scarce presence. In fact, we identified only one halophilic species, Salinibacter sp003022435, carrying the pcrA and pcrC genes, represented in low abundance.

Assessing the Effect of Chemical Dispersant Nokomis 3-F4 on the Degradation of a Heavy Crude Oil in Water by a Marine Microbial Consortium.

Degradation efficiency of a heavy crude oil by a marine microbial consortium was evaluated in this study, with and without the addition of a chemical dispersant (Nokomis 3-F4). 15.50% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were removed after 15 days of incubation without dispersant, with a degradation rate of 2.

Changes in the Bacterioplankton Community Structure from Southern Gulf of Mexico During a Simulated Crude Oil Spill at Mesocosm Scale.

The southern Gulf of Mexico (sGoM) is highly susceptible to receiving environmental impacts due to the recent increase in oil-related activities. In this study, we assessed the changes in the bacterioplankton community structure caused by a simulated oil spill at mesocosms scale. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis indicated that the initial bacterial community was mainly represented by Gamma-proteobacteria, Alpha-proteobacteria, Flavobacteriia, and Cyanobacteria.