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Ocean alkalinity enhancement is an emerging technology designed to help mitigate climate change by boosting the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂). By altering the chemical composition of seawater, this method could significantly increase the ocean’s carbon storage capacity. However, while it holds promise, it also raises concerns about its potential impacts on marine ecosystems.
The Basics of Ocean Alkalinity
The concept behind ocean alkalinity enhancement stems from a natural process that already occurs in the ocean. Seawater is slightly alkaline, with a pH of around 8.2. This alkalinity helps the ocean act as a giant carbon sink, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere. When CO₂ dissolves in seawater, it reacts with minerals to form stable bicarbonate ions, which can store carbon for millennia without significantly altering the ocean’s pH or acidity.
This natural process helps reduce atmospheric CO₂ levels, acting as a long-term solution to the climate crisis. But researchers have discovered that by adding more alkaline minerals to the ocean, this process can be sped up, enhancing carbon capture. The minerals can be either dissolved or crushed into the water, further increasing the ocean’s capacity to absorb CO₂.
How It Works
To enhance the ocean’s natural carbon storage, scientists and startups have begun experimenting with different methods. One approach involves using waste streams from desalination plants and treatment facilities. These waters are alkalized using electricity before being returned to the ocean. Other methods involve directly adding alkaline minerals to the seawater via ships or improving the natural weathering of coastal rocks that release these minerals.
The idea is simple: by increasing the alkalinity of seawater, you encourage the ocean to absorb more CO₂, which then forms bicarbonate ions. This process could, in theory, store carbon long-term and help combat the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Benefits of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
One of the biggest benefits of ocean alkalinity enhancement is its potential to capture carbon over long periods of time. Unlike other carbon capture techniques that focus on short-term removal, the ocean’s vast size and its ability to store carbon in stable forms mean that it could play a crucial role in addressing climate change.
Additionally, the ocean’s ability to absorb CO₂ could help reduce ocean acidification, a process that harms marine life, particularly organisms like corals, shellfish, and plankton. Ocean acidification occurs when the ocean absorbs excess CO₂, making the water more acidic and disrupting marine ecosystems. By increasing alkalinity, ocean alkalinity enhancement could help counteract this effect.
Challenges and Concerns
Despite its potential, ocean alkalinity enhancement is not without challenges and risks. One of the main concerns is the scale at which this technology would need to operate to make a meaningful difference. While early experiments show promise in removing hundreds or thousands of metric tons of carbon per year, scaling this up to billions of tons—necessary for significant climate impact—remains a monumental task.
Another major issue is the difficulty in accurately measuring how much carbon is being sequestered. Since the ocean is so vast and dynamic, it’s challenging to track how effectively the added minerals are absorbing CO₂. The rapid dispersion of alkaline materials in the ocean complicates this further, making it hard to quantify the carbon removed.
There are also environmental concerns. Although early studies have suggested that the process has little to no harmful effects on marine life, especially plankton, there is still uncertainty about its long-term ecological impact. Some researchers warn that changing the ocean’s chemistry on a large scale could disrupt marine ecosystems in unpredictable ways. The fishing industry has already raised concerns, with groups like the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association questioning the wisdom of “dumping” materials into the ocean without fully understanding the consequences.
Will Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Take Off?
Ocean alkalinity enhancement has garnered significant interest from climate ventures, start-ups, and philanthropic organizations. Companies like Planetary and Ebb Carbon are already experimenting with the technology and making commitments to remove carbon from the atmosphere for companies like Microsoft. However, to make a real impact, this technology would need to be deployed at a massive scale, something that presents both logistical and regulatory hurdles.
Furthermore, as the technique involves altering the ocean’s chemistry, it is likely to face opposition from communities and industries concerned about its effects on marine ecosystems. While regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are already monitoring and placing limits on the extent of pH changes in the ocean, there are still many unanswered questions.
The Bottom Line
Ocean alkalinity enhancement represents a promising, albeit unproven, tool in the fight against climate change. By increasing the ocean’s ability to absorb CO₂, it could significantly help reduce atmospheric carbon levels and mitigate some of the negative effects of global warming.
However, the technology’s potential impacts on marine life, its scalability, and the challenges of accurately measuring its effectiveness mean that much more research is needed before it can be relied upon as a major solution to climate change.
References:
https://cen.acs.org/environment/greenhouse-gases/Capturing-carbon-save-us/97/i8
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39526955
https://futurism.com/the-byte/dump-chemical-ocean-climate-change
Banner Image: Photo by Andrzej Kryszpiniuk on Unsplash
