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In marine environments, microscopic droplets of spilled oil can betransported over tens or hundreds kilometers in the water column. As this oilis biodegraded, growing bacteria on the droplets' surface can deform theoil-water interface to generate complex shapes and significantly enlargedroplets. A complete understanding of the fate and transport of spilled oilrequires bridging the present gap between these length scales and determininghow microscale processes affect large-scale transport of oil. Here, we describeexperimental results describing rising oil droplets in a purpose-builthydrodynamic treadmill which rotates to keep droplets stationary in the labframe for continuous, direct observation. Droplets of radii 10-100 $\mu$m arecolonized and deformed by bacteria over several days before their rising speedsthrough the water column are measured. Rising speeds of deformed droplets aresignificantly slower as a result of bio-aggregate formation at the dropletsurface compared to those of droplets of weathered or unweathered oil withoutbacteria. Additionally, we discover bio-aggregate particles of oil andbacterial biofilms which sink through the water column. The composition ofthese particles is quantified using fluorescence microscopy. These results haveimportant implications for the study of oil transport following a spill, ascolonization by bacteria can cause oil droplets to remain in the water columnfor months or years longer than otherwise expected. An improved understandingof the physical transformations of oil droplets during biodegradation showspromise for significantly improving models of oil spills. Additionally, theformation of sinking particles of oil and bacteria presents a new vector forhydrocarbon sedimentation and potential marine oil snow formation.

Direct observations of rising oil droplets deformed by hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria