Miracle Microbes

They make things vanish with no nasty side-effects

A newly discovered type of oil-eating microbe is suddenly flourishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists discovered the new microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf after the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

And the microbe works without significantly depleting oxygen in the water, researchers led by Terry Hazen at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., reported Tuesday in the online journal Sciencexpress.

Okay well let's be open minded and put the fact that this research is funded by a $500 million BP grant on the back burner for just a minute. Is anyone else curious about this line?

Hazen suggested that the bacteria may have adapted over time because of periodic leaks and natural seeps of oil in the Gulf.

In other words, the miracle microbe exists because we dump so much oil into the Gulf. It's a classic counter-intuitive case of we-have-to-kill-the-ocean-to-save-it. Thanks, BP! I only hope these microbes are as delicious as they are beneficial.

Update: I wish someone would please figure out what kind of super-microbe is eating all the hurricanes this year. Probably an unexpected benefit of global warming, I'll bet.