Microbes surrounding and eating Oil

Scientists studying how the oil is dispersing in the Gulf of Mexico have discovered something else as well, a "new" type of microbe that is capable of eating oil at low temperatures, meaning that these microbes can consume oil at great depths where the water is colder (slightly above freezing).

This is a great miracle because most of the oil spilled in the gulf is deep beneath the surface. These scientists have also noticed that these microbes are able to do their job without depleting oxygen in the surrounding ocean water, another miracle, as the depletion of the oxygen concentration in the water is usually a great threat to existing sea life.

This new microbe is flourishing in the gulf and is neutralizing the oil spill at a much faster rate than any of the scientists had expected.