Moderately halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium. Marinobacter nauticus VT8

Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8, also known as Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus VT8, is a moderately halophilic, hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium isolated from an oil well off the coast of Vietnam. Marinobacter aquaeolei is also able to oxidize iron. The availability of iron is considered important to the cycling of carbon in the ocean and iron deficiency is believed to limit primary productivity. Marinobacter aquaeolei, as well as other members of this genus, may play a significant role in the iron and carbon cycles in the marine environment. This organism will be used for comparative genomics.