Research Product

The application of fertilizers to stimulate oil biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms was a major part of the cleanup activities following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Here we describe a substantial field-monitoring program designed to assess the decision-making process directing the cleanup. We show that fertilizer application at the study sites was generally successful in delivering nutrients throughout the oiled sediment, that it stimulated microbial hydrocarbon degradation activity, and that it increased the degradation rate of the spilled oil severalfold. We also show that no adverse ecological effects were observed following fertilizer application. Fertilizer application was thus a safe and effective means to enhance the natural cleansing of the oil spill, and may well have applicability in other marine spills where oil reaches similar shorelines.