Ocean iron fertilization (OIF), an ocean-based geoengineering technique, aims to increase the rate of atmospheric CO2 transfer to the deep ocean
(2009) Ocean fertilization: Science, Policy, and Commerce, in:Oceanography, Vol. 22(3): 236 – 261, ; Secretariat of the CBD (2009) Scientific Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Fertilization on Marine Biodiversity, Montreal, Technical Series No. 45, ; Abate and Greenlee (2010); GESAMP (2019) High level review of a wide range of proposed marine geoengineering techniques, (Boyd, P.W. and Vivian, C.M.G., eds.), IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/UNIDO/WMO/IAEA/UN/UN Environment/ UNDP/ISA Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection). (2009) Ocean fertilization: Science, Policy, and Commerce, in:Oceanography, Vol. 22(3): 236 – 261, ; Secretariat of the CBD (2009) Scientific Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Fertilization on Marine Biodiversity, Montreal, Technical Series No. 45, ; Abate and Greenlee (2010); GESAMP (2019) High level review of a wide range of proposed marine geoengineering techniques, (Boyd, P.W. and Vivian, C.M.G., eds.), IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/UNIDO/WMO/IAEA/UN/UN Environment/ UNDP/ISA Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection).
Ocean fertilization for the purpose of geoengineering aims to increase CO2 uptake by marine biological processes (the 'biological carbon pump'), in sufficient
Analyses of natural, long-term climate changes (ice age cycles; Sigman and Boyle, 2000) and ship-based in vitro experiments (Martin et al., 1990) suggest that the global ocean uptake of carbon is sensitive to nutrient availability, and that for many (but not all) ocean regions, iron would be particularly effective as the fertilizing nutrient for geoengineering purposes. Whilst initial modelling indicates that global deployment of pipes could significantly alter biologi-cal production and export of carbon, net changes to air–sea 480 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 9 0 ( 2 0 1 2 ) 475–488 Fig. 2 – Processes affecting the sequestration efficiency of large-scale ocean fertilization based on the addition of iron or other limiting nutrients.
Perhaps the best known and most widely researched marine geoengineering concept is ocean fertilization, the idea that, by adding iron or
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | --- | --- | | | Home | | | Organization | | | Working Groups / Task Force | | | Activities | | | Calendar of Meetings | | | Meeting Documentation | | | News and Events | | | Publications and Data | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | Reports | | | | | Technical Papers | | | | | Supporting Material | | | | | Figures and Tables | | | | | Glossary | | | | | | Presentations and Speeches | | | Press Information | | | Links | | | Contact | | | | | © ® The Nobel Foundation **IPCC honoured with the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize** IPCC Phone: +41-22-730-8208 /84/54 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2023 | Parties adopt a statement at the 45th meeting of the Governing Bodies of the LC/LP (LC 45/LP 18), stating that: each of the four marine geoengineering techniques prioritized for evaluation has the potential for deleterious effects that are widespread, long-lasting or severe; and there is considerable uncertainty regarding their effects on the marine environment, human health, and on other uses of the ocean. | 2023 | Parties adopt a statement at the 45th meeting of the Governing Bodies of the LC/LP (LC 45/LP 18), stating that: each of the four marine geoengineering techniques prioritized for evaluation has the potential for deleterious effects that are widespread, long-lasting or severe; and there is considerable uncertainty regarding their effects on the marine environment, human health, and on other uses of the ocean.
DEEP-OCEAN STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE Fig. 1 Elements of the biological pump (Fig. 1 From McClain (2010) American Scientist) Deep Ocean Climate Intervention Impacts Deep Ocean Climate Intervention Impacts Ocean Fertilization Key Points DECEMBER 2021 Policy Brief Page 2 DOSI Scaling and Effectiveness The subarctic Northern Pacific, Eastern Equatorial Pacific and Southern Ocean are high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll regions where iron scarcity limits phytoplankton growth, and thus have been proposed for OIF (Yoon et al., 2018, GESAMP, 2019). The alteration of natural phytoplankton communities may result in changes in the seasonality of particulate organic carbon flux to the deep-sea floor (benthic-pelagic coupling) and in compositions of phytoplankton species in the marine snow, potentially impacting deep-sea benthic communities that rely on food from the ocean surface (Billet et al., 1983; Gooday, 1988; Graf, 1989; Ruhl and Smith, 2004; Nomaki et al., 2021).