The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean
Of the various macro-engineering schemes proposed to mitigate global warming, ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is one that could be started at short notice on relevant scales. It is based on the reasoning that adding trace amounts of iron to iron-limited phytoplankton of the Southern Ocean will lead t...
Published in: | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 2024-06-02T08:14:45+00:00 The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean Smetacek, V Naqvi, S.W.A 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences volume 366, issue 1882, page 3947-3967 ISSN 1364-503X 1471-2962 journal-article 2008 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 2024-05-07T14:16:49Z Of the various macro-engineering schemes proposed to mitigate global warming, ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is one that could be started at short notice on relevant scales. It is based on the reasoning that adding trace amounts of iron to iron-limited phytoplankton of the Southern Ocean will lead to blooms, mass sinking of organic matter and ultimately sequestration of significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the deep sea and sediments. This iron hypothesis, proposed by John Martin in 1990 (Martin 1990 Paleoceanography 5 , 1–13), has been tested by five mesoscale experiments that provided strong support for its first condition: stimulation of a diatom bloom accompanied by significant CO 2 drawdown. Nevertheless, a number of arguments pertaining to the fate of bloom biomass, the ratio of iron added to carbon sequestered and various side effects of fertilization, continue to cast doubt on its efficacy. The idea is also unpopular with the public because it is perceived as meddling with nature. However, this apparent consensus against OIF is premature because none of the published experiments were specifically designed to test its second condition pertaining to the fate of iron-induced organic carbon. Furthermore, the arguments on side effects are based on worst-case scenarios. These doubts, formulated as hypotheses, need to be tested in the next generation of OIF experiments. We argue that such experiments, if carried out at appropriate scales and localities, will not only show whether the technique will work, but will also reveal a wealth of insights on the structure and functioning of pelagic ecosystems in general and the krill-based Southern Ocean ecosystem, in particular. The outcomes of current models on the efficacy and side effects of OIF differ widely, so data from adequately designed experiments are urgently needed for realistic parametrization. OIF is likely to boost zooplankton stocks, including krill, which could have a positive effect on recovery of the great whale populations. ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean The Royal Society Southern Ocean Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 366 1882 3947 3967 |
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English |
description |
Of the various macro-engineering schemes proposed to mitigate global warming, ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is one that could be started at short notice on relevant scales. It is based on the reasoning that adding trace amounts of iron to iron-limited phytoplankton of the Southern Ocean will lead to blooms, mass sinking of organic matter and ultimately sequestration of significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the deep sea and sediments. This iron hypothesis, proposed by John Martin in 1990 (Martin 1990 Paleoceanography 5 , 1–13), has been tested by five mesoscale experiments that provided strong support for its first condition: stimulation of a diatom bloom accompanied by significant CO 2 drawdown. Nevertheless, a number of arguments pertaining to the fate of bloom biomass, the ratio of iron added to carbon sequestered and various side effects of fertilization, continue to cast doubt on its efficacy. The idea is also unpopular with the public because it is perceived as meddling with nature. However, this apparent consensus against OIF is premature because none of the published experiments were specifically designed to test its second condition pertaining to the fate of iron-induced organic carbon. Furthermore, the arguments on side effects are based on worst-case scenarios. These doubts, formulated as hypotheses, need to be tested in the next generation of OIF experiments. We argue that such experiments, if carried out at appropriate scales and localities, will not only show whether the technique will work, but will also reveal a wealth of insights on the structure and functioning of pelagic ecosystems in general and the krill-based Southern Ocean ecosystem, in particular. The outcomes of current models on the efficacy and side effects of OIF differ widely, so data from adequately designed experiments are urgently needed for realistic parametrization. OIF is likely to boost zooplankton stocks, including krill, which could have a positive effect on recovery of the great whale populations. ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Smetacek, V Naqvi, S.W.A |
spellingShingle |
Smetacek, V Naqvi, S.W.A The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
author_facet |
Smetacek, V Naqvi, S.W.A |
author_sort |
Smetacek, V |
title |
The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
The next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
next generation of iron fertilization experiments in the southern ocean |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences volume 366, issue 1882, page 3947-3967 ISSN 1364-503X 1471-2962 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0144 |
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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
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366 |
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1882 |
container_start_page |
3947 |
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3967 |
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