How do marine food webs respond to increasing alkalinity?
To mitigate climate change, human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be reduced as quickly and drastically as possible. Additionally, some of the CO2 already emitted needs to be safely removed from the atmosphere. One solution is to accelerate and enhance the ocean's natural uptake of CO2 by increasing its alkalinity. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) mimics the natural process of rock weathering by adding ground rock, or its dissolution products, directly to the seawater. So far, little is known about the effects of this method on marine life. Now, a study has assessed the impacts of a moderate OAE application, showing that the effects on zooplankton are likely minimal and that the food web could remain stable.
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To mitigate climate change, human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be reduced as quickly and drastically as possible. Additionally, some of the CO2 already emitted needs to be safely removed from the atmosphere. One solution is to accelerate and enhance the ocean's natural uptake of CO2 by increasing its alkalinity. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) mimics the natural process of rock weathering by adding ground rock, or its dissolution products, directly to the seawater. So far, little is known about the effects of this method on marine life. Now, a study has assessed the impacts of a moderate OAE application, showing that the effects on zooplankton are likely minimal and that the food web could remain stable.
