Ocean Iron Fertilization Climate Change Mitigation

gc.noaa.gov official

[PDF] Report to Congress Ocean Fertilization The potential of ... - NOAA

https://www.gc.noaa.gov/documents/2010_climate_fert_rept_Congress_final.pdf

In order for ocean fertilization to lead to climate change mitigation, three criteria must be met: (a) ocean fertilization must lead to increased growth of phytoplankton, packaging carbon and nutrients together into organic material; (b) this organic material must be transferred into the deep ocean so that it does not simply get recycled near the surface releasing its carbon back to the atmosphere; and (c) this transfer of carbon from the surface ocean to the deep ocean must result in a compensating transfer of carbon from the atmosphere into the surface ocean.

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whoi.edu research

Iron Fertilization - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/climate-weather/ocean-ba…

Iron fertilization is a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technique that would artificially add iron to the ocean’s surface to stimulate growth of phytoplankton. When the plume of dust or ash settles over the ocean’s surface, it triggers massive blooms of phytoplankton that remove substantial amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Iron fertilization is a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technique that would mimic this natural system, artificially adding iron to the ocean’s surface to stimulate growth of phytoplankton. If relatively small amounts of iron can be added to the ocean’s surface to effectively remove large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, iron fertilization has the potential to play a pivotal role in reducing additional impacts associated with climate change. Until experiments are done to test these potential outcomes and determine how much carbon can be sequestered in the ocean depths, iron fertilization should not be put to use as a method of slowing climate change. ### Fertilizing the Ocean with Iron.

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naturetechcollective.org article

Ocean Iron Fertilization: A Promising Path for Carbon Removal?

https://www.naturetechcollective.org/stories/ocean-iron-fertilization-a-promi…

# Ocean Iron Fertilization: A Promising Path for Carbon Removal? As a marine radiochemist and the director of the non-profit Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions (ExOIS), Dr. Buesseler shared insights on how adding small amounts of iron to the ocean could amplify its natural ability to store carbon, the potential impacts on marine ecosystems, and the path toward responsible research. When scientists compared different climate models' predictions of natural carbon flux in the ocean, the estimates ranged from 5 to 12 billion tons per year. Every marine carbon dioxide removal approach, whether it involves adding minerals, growing seaweed, or fertilizing with iron, will change ocean conditions. We need roughly 5 to 10 billion tons per year of carbon dioxide removal alongside dramatic emissions reductions to address climate change. Ocean iron fertilization might contribute 1 to 2 billion tons annually if deployed widely, though much more research is needed to confirm these estimates and assess full-scale impacts.

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news.mongabay.com news

Can iron fertilization of the oceans help solve the climate crisis? (commentary)

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/can-iron-fertilization-of-the-oceans-help-s…

* *In response to climate change, several carbon dioxide removal approaches involving the marine environment are being studied, with ocean iron fertilization being among those with the greatest potential, according to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences.*. But many of these tests did not aim to answer essential questions about how effectively phytoplankton growth from iron additions might lead to long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the deep ocean, questions that are absolutely critical to understanding if iron fertilization might be a viable carbon removal approach. If there is any chance that ocean iron fertilization could be ecologically acceptable, socially supported, and viable as a carbon removal approach, it is important that we do the research now to understand if and how it could contribute to shifting our climate course.

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oceaniron.org article

Potential Solutions - Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions

https://oceaniron.org/potential-solutions/

The goal of ocean iron fertilization is to stimulate photosynthesis, which enables phytoplankton to remove dissolved carbon dioxide from surface waters and

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