Factors affecting population development within seawater-displaced fuel tanks

Abstract

Populations within model seawater-displaced fuel tanks developed as a succession of eukaryotic species. Growth of filamentous fungi was preceded by the growth of several yeast species. More rapid initiation of growth by filamentous fungi was associated with extracellular metabolites produced by yeasts: both the pH flux towards more acidic conditions and the spore germination induction effect influenced population development. The relative binding affinity of each species for the insoluble hydrocarbon fuel is proposed as a major characteristic determining which species proliferated at the fuel-water interface.

Metabolism of alkyl amines by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus versicolor

“…Organism and growth. The organism used was A. versicolor, first isolated from contaminated fuel tanks (7) and identified by the Commonwealth Mycological Institute. This species was chosen since it grew better on glucose-amines than other filamentous fungi routinely cultured in our laboratory.…”