Objetivo
Marine ecosystems and the fossil fuel petroleum oil are major natural resources whose use necessitates sustainable practices. Oil is toxic and its mining, transport and use results in much pollution, particularly of marine ecosystems. Some marine microorganisms degrade oil and play a crucial role in reducing its pollution impact thereby constituting a major factor in the sustainability equation, but we know almost nothing about them, and are not able to rationally influence their beneficial activity. In order to fill this critical knowledge gap, and elucidate the identity and functional roles of the most important degraders, the biogeography and phylogenetic and functional diversity of oil-degrading bacteria, the structure and function of oil-based microbial communities in which they act, population dynamics and degradation rates of such communities in response to oil pollution, will be studied and the potential for rational intervention to enhance their beneficial activities assessed
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energypetroleum
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geography
Convocatoria de propuestas
Data not availableRégimen de financiación
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinador
98122 MESSINA
Italia