< Micro-Organism that eats crude Oil! >

Um

It has been found that such oil eating bacteria exist naturally in the oceans of the world. What is lacking in the gulf is only a mix of nutrients capable of promoting growth the NPK mix.

NPK is simply Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. The trouble in not getting the nitrogen at this time of year to the Gulf. In fact that is already taken care of by farm run off. (Which causes the annual dead zone int he Gulf of Mexico and about 400 other areas along the worlds coast lines.)

The problem is that even at best growth, the bacteria tends to be slow and with a growing mess like this, we can't afford the time. (Oh, we will use these bacteria! But it cannot be the only thing we do.)

The other component of this is that it leaves behind pollutants that also harm sea life. It is unknown how harmful these remainder chemicals will do to the ocean in great quantities however.

While adding nutrients seems on it's surface a good idea, and may even BE the final solution in this case, it can also lead to effects that are unwanted, like those dead zones I mentioned above.

It is not a bad idea to use these bacteria though, because the worst we do is about the same amount of damage as what is already happening. (Near total destruction of the local ecological system.) So we may as well take a swing at it.

I doubt Transocean and BP have shares in this, hence the reason it is not being used.

It's already in the water. It just won't act fast enough to hide how bad this really is, if that is their intent.

will also eat fish skin...

Now that WILL be the beast. We will create a genetically altered organism to clean up the oil spill. Problem is we are not God. We are not more powerful than nature or evolution. The unforseen ecological reprocussions could be catastrophic.