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Environment

Geoengineering the seas could be catastrophic for marine life

Proposed methods of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the alkalinity of seawater using minerals such as basalt could severely affect the availability of nutrients in the deep ocean

By Madeleine Cuff

19 April 2023

Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans and seas. Zooplankton.

Many kinds of zooplankton feed on particles of organic matter called marine snow

tonaquatic/iStockphoto/G​etty Images

Efforts to boost the ocean’s carbon-storing capacity by making seawater more alkaline could wreak havoc on the marine food web, researchers have warned.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a proposed method of removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It involves adding alkaline substances, such as basalt or calcium oxide, to ocean water to increase its pH. This helps to convert dissolved CO2 in seawater into carbonates and bicarbonates, unlocking capacity for the oceans to draw down further …

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