Research indicates bacteria broke down majority of Gulf oil spill

“According to an assessment spearheaded by Rochester’s John Kessler, as much as 200,000 tons or more of oil and natural gas might have been consumed, leaving only around two-fifths of the initial spill in the water by September 2010. In addition, while the full ecological impacts of the practice are not detailed, the study indicates that the controversial use of dispersants might have encouraged this process.

"’Interestingly, the oil and gas consumption rate was correlated with the addition of dispersants at the wellhead,’ said Kessler. ‘While there is still much to learn about the appropriateness of using dispersants in a natural ecosystem, our results suggest it made the released hydrocarbons more available to the native Gulf of Mexico microorganisms.’"