Oil-Eating Bacteria Found In Mariana Trench Could Be Key To Removing Ocean Pollutants

An international team of scientists has identified a species of bacteria that can eat away oil spills from ocean water.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia, together with colleagues Russia and China, discovered the microbes while exploring the depths of the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean. The organisms' oil-eating properties come from their unique ability to degrade hydrocarbons in their environment.

Experts hope that the bacteria can be used to remove pollutants in the Earth's oceans, especially those produced by human activities...read more.