Return to top Changes in phytoplankton structure are an inevitable consequence of fertilization with possible long-term consequences on the ocean food web, fisheries, etc. UCS believes that the answer to this question is very likely to be negative, suggesting that further research should be abandoned. Deep ocean carbon sequestration is not currently practiced on a commercial scale. Deep ocean currents and dynamics are also insufficiently understood to predict the fate of deeply sequestered carbon over long time spans. While the chemical interactions between the carbon plumes and the surrounding ocean water are recognized, they are not central to most current research activities.
Some biological impacts are well known, however, and can be anticipated.
Return to top References Boyd, P.W. et al. 2000. A mesoscale phytoplankton bloom in the polar Southern Ocean stimulated by iron fertilization. Brewer, P.G. et al. 1999a. Direct experiments on the ocean disposal of fossil fuel CO2. Brewer, P.G. et al. 1999b.