“What we observed in June was a horizon of deep water laden with methane and other hydrocarbon gases,” Valentine said. “When we returned in September and October and tracked these waters, we found the gases were gone. In their place were residual methane-eating bacteria, and a 1 million ton deficit in dissolved oxygen that we attribute to respiration of methane by these bacteria.”
[…]
[Kessler added] “it appeared that methane would be present in the Gulf for years to come. Instead, the methane respiration rates increased to levels higher than have ever been recorded, ultimately consuming it and prohibiting its release to the atmosphere.”
Fascinating and I thought I’d share .
Also, if anyone could explain what kind of scale a “1 million ton deficit in dissolved oxygen” is, I really don’t have a grasp on what that implies.