The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will have severe and far reaching impacts on the ecosystems in the Gulf. Among the most concerning impacts will be suffocation of organisms that require oxygen for their life processes, including those that can help remove the oil from the ecosystem. The patented oxygen delivery technology (SDOX) to be utilized in this project injects a carrier stream of water containing pre-dissolved oxygen. For shoreline treatment, no bubbles are present, thereby allowing effective treatment of shallow systems. For in situ bioremediation of spilled oil in the near shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, this should enhance bacterial bioactivity to allow the time period for natural or inoculated bioremediation of the oil spill to be significantly reduced. The unmatched ability of SDOX to add dissolved oxygen to shallow water makes it particularly well suited for bioremediation of hydrocarbons along the coast. SDOX units could be deployed from the shore or from a bank of barges just off shore from key locations, such as the oyster beds in Louisiana or South Walton Beach in Florida. The SDOX units could be used in conjunction with skimming equipment that removes the bulk oil from the surface. The dissolved oxygen added by SDOX would be used by indigenous or added (inoculated) bacteria for rapid aerobic digestion of hydrocarbons in the water column. SDOX could also be used to provide the additional oxygen required to bring the DO up to that required for fish and other aquatic life (4 mg/L or higher). This high DO water would also be beneficial in bioremediation of oil that has reached shore by providing the microbes embedded in sand and rock with the oxygen required for aerobic digestion. If it is found that other nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, are also required for optimal bioremediation, these nutrients could be injected through the SDOX. The broader impacts of this research are the ability to use the portable SDOX technology on aquatic ecosystem restoration that has previously been practical or impossible. In addition to the urgent need for bioremediation in the Gulf of Mexico due to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, this technology benefits an improved environment for aquatic species, minimized environmental impact from hydroelectric dams, and more economic and efficient wastewater treatment. The technology could positively impact drinking water, recreation, irrigation and other aqueous ecological services important to the public and the environment
