Protists prey on bacteria. To find out whether bacteria consume more or less oil in the presence of protists, Edgcomb placed microbe-containing sediment and water from the Gulf of Mexico into test tubes, added a small amount of a well-characterized deisel oil to each tube, and inactivated the protists in some tubes. She also tested the effects of factors such as the presence of nutrients and low oxygen levels. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)[back]
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