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One of the recent geoengineering methods caught attention was the ocean fertilization. Some scientists went as far as claiming that the ocean fertilization could be the fix for rising global warming concerns around the world. There have been many studies on using the ocean fertilization as a way to reduce greenhouse gases from the atmosphere that contribute to the global warming. Some of the recent findings concluded that ocean fertilization may not be able to help reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as much as previously thought. Additionally, many challenges still remain before implementing ocean fertilization process on a wide scale. Although the process may not be perfect, ocean fertilization does sound like a promising technology that can help mitigate the global warming at certain level.

A schematic representation of the biological pump.

 Photo Source: Courtesy of Z. Johnson and Nature Magazine, October 12, 2001.

 The ocean is a natural absorber of excess carbon dioxide. Scientists estimates that majority of the carbon dioxide produced by burning of fossil fuels is absorbed by the oceans. The ocean fertilization is a geoengineering method of purposely introducing iron and other nutrients to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without affecting the marine life. The main objective of the ocean fertilization process is to increase the rate at which ocean absorbs carbon dioxide. Therefore, ocean areas that are nutrient deficient can be good candidates to implement the ocean nourishment method to help reduce climate change effects in surrounding areas.

Ocean fertilization is not as simple as it sounds and has drawbacks. Some of the issues with ocean fertilization include the lack of information on impacts of long term ocean fertilization and regulatory framework for the process. The process could potentially increase production of other greenhouse gases such nitrogen oxide thus, nullifying the positive effects of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The ocean fertilization may also reduce oxygen level at the deep ocean causing issues for fisheries and other marine organisms. These risks and uncertainties of ocean fertilization have caused concerns among environmentalists and scientists. Regulatory framework especially beyond national jurisdiction is not very well defined when it comes to ocean fertilization. As a result, the scope of wide scale implementation or study is limited.

Conclusion:

Due to the rising population and increased use of fossil fuel, Carbon Dioxide is being emitted at an unprecedented levels and the rate is only accelerating. Reducing Carbon Dioxide emission must be international priority. Ocean fertilization may not be the ultimate fix to solve the global warming issue. However, ocean fertilization as a mitigation option certainly can be used along with other mitigation strategies.

Source: Robin Warner

Below is a video that will provide some more information about ocean fertilization: