Impact of Pollution on Microbial Mats

Microbial mats are structured bacterial communities in which interactions between the different functional groups are enhanced. Such mats developed on shore lines contaminated after oil spills and showed the capacity to grow on the spilled oil. Their capacity to degrade crude oil is nevertheless subject to controversy. While many laboratory studies demonstrated degradation of model hydrocarbon compounds, other suggested that, in situ, the mats protected the oil from abiotic transformations. Many strains, belonging to all of the main functional groups found in microbial mats, have been described for their capacity to degrade oil compounds under either oxic and anoxic conditions. Thus the potential for oil degradation exists in the microbial mats but in situ bioremediation by using mats seems ineffective. Nevertheless, ex situ use of mats communities for oil degradation is a promising way of biodegradation.