Abstract |
Hydrocarbons from various sources--anthropogenic pollution, marine seeps, marine algae, atmospheric fallout and terrestrial runoff--enter the ocean daily. These complex hydrocarbon mixtures are dispersed and degraded by abiotic and biogenic processes. Most commonly, bacteria are considered the primary degraders, with algae and fungi having minor roles. Although implied in a number of cases, the degradation of complex hydrocarbon mixtures by a successional microflora containing temporally isolated populations of bacteria and fungi, has been inadequately studied. |