Biodiversity and biocatalyst activity of culturable hydrocarbonoclastic fungi isolated from Marac-Moruga mud volcano in South Trinidad.

ABSTRACT: Mud volcanoes (MVs) are visible signs of oil and gas reserves present deep beneath land and sea. The Marac MV in Trinidad is the only MV associated with natural hydrocarbon seeps. Petrogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in its sediments must undergo biogeochemical cycles of detoxification as they can enter the water table and aquifers threatening ecosystems and biota. Recurrent hydrocarbon seep activity of MVs consolidates the growth of hydrocarbonoclastic fungal communities. Fungi possess advantageous metabolic and ecophysiological features for remediation but are underexplored compared to bacteria. Additionally, indigenous fungi are more efficient at PAH detoxification than commercial/foreign counterparts and remediation strategies remain site-specific. Few studies have focused on hy

SUBMITTER: Ramdass AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8484666 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature