Due to the consistent oil spill disasters in recent years, it is clear that there is a need for a safe method to clean up such spills. From oil disasters like the 2010 Gulf oil spill to smaller spills that occur weekly, thousands of accidental spills occur every year. Many of these spills occur in marine environments. In such fragile ecosystems and an area vital to our economy, oil spills can prove devastating in these environments. Through multiple fields of experimentation, several methods have been created to try to contain and clean up these spills. None, however, is as promising as the bioremediation of oil spills through the biostimulation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. These bacteria metabolize the hydrocarbons present in oil and make them less toxic for the environment. This, in combination with mechanical cleaning methods, provides the highest level of efficiency along with the safest by-products. Through a clear understanding of how oil reacts in marine environments, how these bacteria work, and alternative options for cleaning up a spill, it is clear that biostimulation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in combination with mechanical methods is the most sensible method for cleaning up an oil. spill.Crude oil has the ideal composition for bacteria specialized in hydrocarbon metabolism. Carbon makes up 83 to 87% of its composition, depending on the conditions under which it was formed. Oil was formed by organisms that millions of years ago used sunlight as an energy source through the process of photosynthesis. These algae and plants were buried in the Earth over time. Over millions of years they have been heated and exposed to large amounts of pressure. The res...half of the paper...died once. Biodegradation rates occurred when the bacteria had access to nitrogen. Once the resource was extinct, the rate of bacterial degradation dropped to normal levels. In trials conducted as part of the Baffin Island Oil Spill Project, the effectiveness of nutrient enhancement on biodegradation was tested. In small parameters (10m x 10m) in a low energy system, two plots were established. One was contaminated without any treatment. The other plot was contaminated with oil and then received a nutrient treatment. Although the results of this experiment are controversial due to the lack of statistical evidence gathered, it was clear that the treated side was much cleaner. Pre-1980 experimentation is often questioned due to the lack of high-quality collection technology. However, these experiments laid the foundation for further testing.