Topic: David Valentine

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Gulf oil spill study's surprising find: Bacteria ate methane in three months

The study's leaders say rates of methane decomposition after the Gulf oil spill 'were faster than had ever been recorded in any other place on the planet.' Other scientists are cautious about the results.
Is new species of microbe gobbling up Gulf oil spill?

A study released Tuesday suggests that a new species of microbe is consuming the undersea plumes in the Gulf oil spill – perhaps more quickly than scientists anticipated.
Methane's hidden impact in Gulf oil spill

Large quantities of methane released by BP's oil blowout aren't fouling beaches like the Gulf oil spill is, but could endanger a key link in the undersea food chain.
BP oil spill: an unexpected laboratory for deep-sea disaster

The BP oil spill is a unique event, so scientists are converging on the Gulf to try to understand how best to combat deep-sea oil spills and what effects they have on the environment.
A new way to figure out the size of the BP oil spill

A marine geochemist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, suggests that measuring methane concentration in the water could give a better idea of how big the BP oil spill is.