Petroleum microbiology oil while A. borkumensis simutaneously increases synthesis of anionic glucoproteins, which are used to emulsify hydrocarbons in the environment and increase their bioavailability. The presence of crude oil along with appropriate levels of nitrogen and phosphor catalyzes the removal of petroleum either by mechanisms that enhance the efficiency of substrate uptake or by direct biodegradation of aliphatic chains. Two well-known oil spills exemplify large scale marine bioremediation applications: In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling 41.6 million liters of crude oil, and launching one of the first major bioremediation efforts for an oil spill. Cleanup of Alaskan shorelines relied
1989 Narragansett Bay oil spill 1989 Narragansett Bay oil spill On June 23, 1989, several hundred thousand gallons of fuel oil were spilled at the mouth of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island after the tanker MV "World Prodigy" ran aground on a reef near Aquidneck Island. "World Prodigy", a long ship operated by Ballard Shipping under the Greek flag, was inbound to Providence and Tiverton, Rhode Island when at about 16:40 local time she ran aground on Brenton Reef, about offshore from Brenton Point State Park, after passing the wrong side of a buoy marking the channel. She had a cargo of about 8.1