Final answer:
The assertion regarding the widespread presence of hydrocarbon-degrading organisms that can use hydrocarbons as energy and carbon sources and produce surfactants is true.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that organisms which degrade hydrocarbons in crude oil are ubiquitous in the environment and have evolved special strategies such as surfactant production that allow them to readily use hydrocarbons as electron donors and carbon sources is true. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria like Alcanivorax borkumensis are capable of breaking down hydrocarbons into smaller subunits and can produce surfactants to solubilize oil, making it soluble in water.
Added to natural populations, genetically engineered prokaryotes with enhanced capabilities can further aid in bioremediation processes. The success of these processes depends on factors such as the type of hydrocarbons present and the addition of inorganic nutrients that help bacteria to grow, leading to potential degradation of up to 80 percent of the nonvolatile components in oil within a year.