The ocean iron enrichment experiment will begin in 2026 and will affect up to 10,000 square kilometers of ocean. However, the method is somewhat controversial.
Ocean iron fertilization (OIF), like all geoengineering solutions, is not controversial, but it has now been put on the agenda by a group of scientists from the nonprofit Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions (ExOIS) consortium. The goal of this method is to bind atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Climate, the researchers plan to start experiments in the northeastern Pacific Ocean in an area of up to 10,000 square kilometers by 2026. writes interesting engineering.
The essence of ocean iron fertilization is delivering iron to nutrient-poor areas of the ocean. Iron is essential for phytoplankton, tiny marine plants that fix carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. When these plants die or are eaten by marine animals, some of the sequestered carbon sinks to the ocean floor, where it can be stored for centuries.
“OIF has the broadest research background in marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) methods.”
Scientists claim.
Although this technique has been studied for decades, it is surrounded by serious controversy due to its potential side effects: toxic algal blooms, the creation of low-oxygen zones, and the general disruption of marine ecosystems. However, ExOIS believes that the fight against climate change is so urgent that it is time to reevaluate this method.
The researchers are committed to transparency and strict scientific oversight, of course, and are willing to address past controversies about the method. The team plans to use advanced computer models to predict the environmental impacts of their experiments, and they plan to engage the public in discussing the results. According to a study by British, American and French scientists, if one to two million tons of iron were sent into the ocean each year, we could remove up to 45 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100. That would be a significant step forward in international efforts to combat climate change.
ExOIS is seeking regulatory approval and funding under the London Protocol to begin trials in 2026. Although the long-term environmental impacts of the OIF remain unclear, researchers are confident that with due diligence, lasting damage can be minimized, and say the tool is so powerful in the fight against climate change that it is back on the agenda.
(Image: Pixabay/PegasusBuzzles)
