Hydrocarbons, particularly petroleum hydrocarbons, are among the most widespread pollutants affecting marine ecosystems through events such as oil spills, industrial discharges and other oil extraction, processing, storage and transport activities. They accumulate in the food chain, some evaporate, and a large proportion accumulate in the soil and sediments. Due to the hydrophobic nature of these compounds, sediments act as an important sink as the hydrocarbons bind to solid particles and remain there for a longer period of time. Pollution threatens not only ecosystems and biota, but also human health and the economy. Compared to various physical and chemical methods, bioremediation is a more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly way to address the problem of pollution. Bioremediation is carried out with the help of bacteria, fungi and microalgae. The use of fungi is particularly beneficial in the remediation of marine sediments as they can adapt to stressful environmental conditions. A major advance in bioremediation techniques has been made possible by various omic technologies such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. These technologies provide a comprehensive understanding of the microorganisms involved, their role and their mechanisms of action. They also allow us to discover new microbial species with potential for bioremediation and to track changes within the microbial community during the process. All this information is important to improve the performance and efficiency of bioremediation processes.
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