The bacteriology of oil epuration in the Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary

George D. Floodgate

A b s t r a c t: A review of the literature suggests that the most likely fate of the oil spilled during the Gulf War in the vicinity of the Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary is that it has, in the main, been oxidised but that some may remain within the system because the local conditions are unfavourable to the mechanisms that can cause change. All the Permanent Transect Lines were visited during November 1992, and the distribution of oil compared with observations made during winter 1991/92. Counts of oil degraders and total bacteria numbers were made from selected sites. A number of experiments demonstrated the presence of oil-degrading bacteria in sea water and sediments. Examination under the microscope suggests that protozoa were very active and that the mechanism of epuration in the Sanctuary area has a number of features specific to the region. These differences, and particularly the effect of bioturbation, need further investigation.

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