Since the industrial revolution, human activities (especially the burning of fossil fuels) have caused a release of carbon into the atmosphere much faster than aquatic and terrestrial organisms have been able to absorb it. While all photosynthetic organisms absorb carbon dioxide, some scientists believe that oceans might offer the best opportunity to effectively offset the imbalance in the carbon cycle resulting from human activities.
For several decades there has been interest in ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it elsewhere, a practice known as carbon sequestration. One method of carbon sequestration that has received much attention is ocean fertilization—encouraging growth of microscopic ocean plants called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton live in vast communities and respond rapidly to changes in their environment, which makes them an attractive means for drawing carbon dioxide into the oceans. Therefore, increasing the conditions for plankton growth in the oceans might significantly increase the amount of carbon the oceans can absorb.
After studying the nutrient makeup of oceans in the 1980s, the late Dr. John Martin of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories hypothesized that a key factor in plankton growth was how much iron was present in the water. In the first of several such experiments, scientists spread dissolved iron into open waters. Afterward, they noted intense periods of plankton growth. In theory, extra plankton growth resulting from this fertilization should also increase the amount that “leaks” out of the ocean carbon cycle and onto the ocean floor, where it can’t contribute to global warming.
Central to this theory is the functioning of the ocean’s biological pump as part of the global carbon cycle. As with other plants, phytoplankton growth involves harnessing solar radiation in photosynthesis, a process which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The carbon that becomes part of the phytoplankton enters the marine food chain and moves through it accordingly. What allows for long-term carbon sequestration is a “leak” in the pump, consisting of the organic matter that sinks out of the pump’s cycle and settles on the ocean floor. This material can form sedimentary deposits that are eventually buried beneath the ocean floor. Scientists believe that this process, occurring over millions of years, is also the source of some of our current petroleum reserves.
Newer technology, such as satellite imaging, has helped to assess these activities, but many questions about their effectiveness remain. There are also concerns that fertilization might produce “dead zones” of low dissolved oxygen, which could disrupt other natural cycles and even end up producing other, more potent greenhouse gases. Ocean fertilization also raises questions concerning climate policy, specifically the emissions trading schemes envisioned under the Kyoto agreement. Similar to adding carbon-absorbing tree cover, countries might use ocean fertilization techniques to gain credits that could then be sold on world markets. However, areas suitable for effective fertilization exist all over the world in both national and international waters making any political involvement both complex and slow-moving. Ocean fertilization will not be the one and only solution to offset the impact that anthropogenic activities have on the atmosphere. However, as researchers continue their studies its effect on global climate could be significant.
This page by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory has an overview of ocean fertilization, includes example simulations, and discusses issues surrounding fertilization research.
What Are Phytoplankton?
Part of NASA’s Earth Observatory, this page covers the basics of phytoplankton and how they can influence the global environment. The site includes animation showing how carbon sequestration takes place and other links related to the subject.
From the NASA and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, this page offers a variety of information on different types of plankton. Coverage includes diatoms, bioluminescence, satellite images, and is broken down by grade level and educational standards.
Why Dump Iron in the Ocean?
This site lists general information, selected scientific publications, conference presentations and posters, and additional links relating to ocean fertilization.
Data & Maps
The Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX) and the Southern Ocean Iron Release Experiment are two known research cruises that have studied the effects of ocean fertilization on different parts of the world’s oceans.
Effects of Ocean Fertilization with Iron to Remove Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere Reported
This 2004 article by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution looks at the possibility that ocean fertilization might not be the quick fix that some had hoped.
For the Classroom
It Looks Like Champagne
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Explorer website, this lesson for high school students covers deep ocean carbon dioxide and global climate change.