3. You are part of a field team conducting research in the Gulf of Mexico. On Day 1 you explore a pristine aquifer and saw that there was a high concentration of oxygen, nitrate and sulfate in the soil. You also noticed the gravel along the stream were covered in iron and manganese oxides.
On Day 2 the local mining company had an accident and spilled thousands of gallons of gasoline on the same site you were working on.
1) Describe the succession of the possible metabolisms of bacteria associated with the aquifer based on the availability of minerals listed above. Start with metabolisms that are the closest to the gas spill and then move outward.
2) You return to the aquifer several weeks later. What is the most likely metabolism to be at the origin of the contamination site?