Influence of pollution history on the response of coastal bacterial and nanoeukaryote communities to crude oil and biostimulation assays

Pollution history has often been proposed to explain site-dependent bioremediation efficiencies, but this hypothesis has been poorly explored. Here, bacteria and their heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) predators originating from pristine and chronically oil-polluted coastal sites were subjected to crude oil ± nutrients or emulsifier amendments. The addition of crude oil had a more visible effect on bacteria originating from the pristine site with a higher increase in the activity of given OTU and inactivation of other petroleum-sensitive bacteria, as revealed by DNA and RNA-based comparison. Such changes resulted in a delay in microbial growth and in a lower bacterial degradation of the more complex hydrocarbons. Biostimulation provoked a selection of different bacterial community assemblages and stirred metabolically active bacteria. This resulted in a clear increase of the peak of bacteria and their HNF predators and higher oil degradation, irrespective of the pollution history of the site.

► Oil had a more visible effect on the OLIG compared to POLL bacterial communities. ► Bacteria originated from the pristine site adapted to oil input after a lag period. ► PAH were more degraded in the POLL site. ► Biostimulation stirred the response of bacteria and HNF to oil pollution. ► HNF controlled bacteria within less than 48 h of the height of their outbreak.