Could the growth rates of Vibrio vulnificus be affected by an oil spill?
I found these article, which show exponential increase in population of Vibrio in BP oil spill region (published in 2011 supported in 2013).$^{1,2}$
There is evidence that Vibrio representatives can metabolize oil-derived compounds $^{3,4}$. There is a sizable amount, more than 31%, where found in the Deepwater Horizon Spill.$^5$. Though the reason is still to be proved $in\ vitro$, but studies shows they can persist in the presence of oil.$^6$
Source:
[1]:
High Numbers of Vibrio vulniﬁcus in Tar Balls Collected from Oiled Areas of the North-Central Gulf of Mexico Following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
[2]:
Associations and dynamics of Vibrionaceae in the environment, from the genus to the population level
[3]: West 1984, Numerical taxonomy of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria isolated from the Chesapeake Bay.
[4]: Moxley K., Schmidt S. (2010). Preliminary characterization of an estuarine, benzoate-utilizing Vibrio sp. isolated from Durban Harbour, South Africa. Curr. Res. Technol. Educ. Top. Appl. Microbiol. Microb. Biotechnol. 1249–1254
[5]: Hamdan L. J., Fulmer P. A. (2011). Effects of COREXIT® EC9500A on bacteria from a beach oiled by the Deepwater Horizon spill. Aquat. Microb. Ecol. 63, 101 10.3354/ame01482
[6]: In situ and in vitro impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Vibrio parahaemolyticus.