Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus  Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus is a species of Proteobacteria found in sea water which are able to degrade hydrocarbons. The cells are rod-shaped and motile by means of a single polar flagellum. ‘Hydrocarbonoclastic’ means ‘hydrocarbon dismantling.’ These bacteria were named as such because they can degrade the major components of oil. (2)  Both the genus "Marinobacter" and the species "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus" were first identified and described in 1992 by Gauthier et al. Using polymerase chain reaction to analyze by 16sRNA DNA, Gauthier showed that it was a member of the gamma group of the Proteobacteria, with sufficient distance to other described Proteobacteria to warrant the creation of a new genus. (2)  In 2005, Marquez and Ventosa from the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the University of Sevilla in Spain used “G+C content, fatty acid composition, and DNA-DNA hybridization… to understand the taxonomic positions” of "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus" and "Marinobacter aquaeolei".(7) “Marquez suggests that the two species be united under the same name since they are heterotypic synonyms due to phenotypic and phylogenetic traits.”(7)  In 2011, Hamdan & Fuller discovered that "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclastus", die when exposed to the chemical dispersant COREXIT EC9500A used to treat the Deepwater Horizon oilspill.(3)  The genome of "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus" has a 52.7% guanine + cytosine content.(2)  "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus" are a type of eubacteria.(2)16sRNA DNA analysis indicates that these organisms are related to the gamma group of Proteobacteria.(2) Initial 16sRNA phylogenetic analysis did not reveal any close relatives to "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus". Therefore, the organism was placed in a genus of its own, with scientists believing that "Pseudomonas aeruginosa" was its closest modern relative.(2)  In 1999, 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed "Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus" to have a very close relative in "Marinobacter aquaeolei".(6) The two organisms contain 16S rDNA sequences with 99.4% similarity.(6)  The organisms from the genus "Marinobacter" have been found to have high diversity in terms of the environments they inhabit.