Microbes Mopped Up After Gulf Oil Spill gCaptain Total Views: 50 January 10, 2011 Bacteria made quick work of the tons of methane that billowed into the Gulf of Mexico along with oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout, clearing the natural gas from the waterway within months of its release, researchers reported Friday. The federally funded field study, published online in the journal Science, offers peer-reviewed evidence that naturally occurring microbes in the Gulf devoured significant amounts of toxic chemicals in natural gas and oil spewing from the seafloor, which researchers had thought would persist in the region’s water chemistry for years. “Within a matter of months, the bacteria completely removed that methane,”said microbiologist David Valentine at the University of California at Santa Barbara. “The bacteria kicked on more effectively than we expected,” he said. Click to continue reading…. Via Dan Sheehan Tags: deepwater horizon noaa Offshore Events Oil Editorial Standards · Corrections · About gCaptain Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update — trusted by our 105,963 members Prev Back to Main Next Stay Informed. Stay Connected. Get The Daily Insights That Power Maritime Professionals Worldwide Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox — trusted by our 105,963 members Have a news tip? Let us know. Stay Ahead with Our Weekly ‘Dispatch’ Email Dive into a sea of curated content with our weekly ‘Dispatch’ email. Your personal maritime briefing awaits! Sign Up Sign In Related Articles Offshore Trump Administration Moves to Reunify Offshore Regulators Split After Deepwater Horizon Disaster Reunification marks major shift in offshore oversight model built after Deepwater Horizon. April 4, 2026 Total Views: 1300 Offshore BP Wins OK For First New Gulf Project Since Deepwater Horizon Tragedy By Ari Natter Mar 13, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The Trump administ