This article was originally published in English
This controversial technique, known as ocean iron fertilization, has already sparked public reactions in the past.
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Scientists want seeding the Pacific Ocean with iron to help it capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In an article published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Climate’, they claim that the controversial technique It could be a cheap, scalable and rapidly deployable way to capture carbon.
Experts from the non-profit organization Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions (ExOIS) They have just drawn up a plan to find out how much CO2 the technique could capture and what impact it could have on marine ecosystems. They hope to be able to begin testing on up to 10,000 square kilometers of ocean in the Northeast Pacific as early as 2026.
“It is the first time in more than a decade that the marine scientific community has come together to Support a specific research plan on ocean iron“says study lead author and executive director of the ExOIS program, Ken Buesseler.
The program is trying to raise $160 million (€143.7 million) to make it a reality; it has already received a $2 million (€1.8 million) grant from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the development of computer models.
Now, scientists plan to apply to the US Environmental Protection Agency for permission to Start conducting trials of ocean iron fertilization.
How does iron help oceans capture carbon?
The ocean iron fertilization (OIF) It is a technique that consists of releasing small amounts of iron micronutrients on the sea surface to stimulate the growth of marine plants known as phytoplankton.
This rapid growth removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesisWhen plankton die or are eaten, some of that carbon is captured as it sinks to the depths of the ocean, potentially keeping it out of the atmosphere for centuries.
Although a large amount of iron enters the ocean naturally from sources such as wind-blown dust or volcanic ashthis technique aims to speed up the process.
“Given the The ocean’s huge capacity to store carbon -more than 50 times greater than that of the atmosphere and between 15 and 20 times greater than that of all terrestrial plants and soils-, the possibility of enhancing the natural capacity of the ocean to store carbon“says Paul Morris, project manager for the ExOIS program.
He claims that even if all carbon emissions were stopped today, we would still need to remove marine carbon dioxide because of what is already in the atmosphere.
Why is iron fertilization of oceans controversial?
In the 90s and 2000s Dozens of experiments were carried out in which iron was added to the oceanHowever, in 2013, the London Protocol –a global treaty on ocean pollution– banned commercial iron fertilization of oceans following public outcry.
Objections to the disruption of natural marine systems reached a fever pitch when American businessman Russ George dumped 100 tons of iron powder into the ocean off the coast of Canada, in part to boosting salmon fishing.
Critics are concerned that the OIF may have unknown negative effects on the oceanThey are concerned that iron fertilization causes so-called “dead zones,” in which algae bloom It consumes all the oxygen in the water and kills all other marine life. Phytoplankton blooms could also consume nutrients and leave them out of reach of other organisms..
According to a study conducted last year by French, British and American researchers, the addition of 1 to 2 million tons of iron to the ocean each year could capture up to 45 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2100.
However, their computer models also showed that would steal nutrients from other marine organismsThe researchers cautioned that little is known about how methods such as OIF would interact with the Current effects of climate change on marine life. In addition to a Estimated loss of 15% of marine biomass due to global warmingthey discovered that Another 5% could be lost due to the OIF.
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Pacific Ocean project plans to monitor OIF’s impact on marine life
ExOIS says it will carry out a Detailed monitoring of their studies in the Pacific to determine their impact together with advanced computer modelling.
The article notes that field studies are needed to fill knowledge gaps and find out whether OIF is really a viable method of carbon dioxide removal marine. Its authors point out that, looking to the future, These studies must be much broader and longer than the previous ones..
But even at these larger pilot scales, ExOIS claims that There will be no permanent changes with the iron naturally depleted and mixed back into the ocean.
“We have learned in the past that conducting inexpensive and therefore inconclusive field trials, or moving forward without proper controls and oversight, will slow progress as governments and the public balk at unknown risks of the OIF and the mCDR, ignoring their potential,” the article states.
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This means involving public groups in discussions about how the OIF can be implemented responsibly.” Buesseler adds that It will be important to pay “special attention” to groups historically excluded from decision-making regarding ocean spaces.
