Green Seas Ahead?

[Harold Squared]

In my capacity as PLANETARY ADVOCATE AND SAVIOR(what, you thought only rich guys like Al Gore and Maurice Strong could declare themselves to be such?), I was taking inventory of the global chlorophyll, distribution circa 1998 to 2006. I noticed a distinct deficiency of this very important molecule in the open oceans principally between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. If as some propose there is a current and problematic surplus of carbon dioxide, why not fertilize these waters and encourage pelagic photosynthesis and thereby extract this allegedly injurious molecule from the atmosphere? Many varieties of seaweed are edible or otherwise useful or we could stash a bit in the abyss until we needed it, hey? These areas typically receive abundant sunlight year around and just a few tons of the right elements are all we would need for a test of the scheme.

[StringJunky]

Sign me up, I've mentioned this a couple of times. The problem to overcome is to keep the upper habitable layers supplied with nutrients.

[pavelcherepan]

But is there really much point? I mean, chlorophyll is not the only participant of photosynthesis and plus if you just dump plenty of it in the seas without biological assistance it won't be re-created. I reckon it's better to artificially grow lots of phytoplankton and dump it around. That should work better.

[StringJunky]

But is there really much point? I mean, chlorophyll is not the only participant of photosynthesis and plus if you just dump plenty of it in the seas without biological assistance it won't be re-created. I reckon it's better to artificially grow lots of phytoplankton and dump it around. That should work better.

You've still got to feed that phytoplankton. I don't think the waters need inoculating with them; they are already there just waiting, in low numbers, for nutrients so they can bloom. The problem you've got with the warm deep equatorial seas is that there is no natural movement of water from bottom to top because the temperature is too high and this creates a thermocline. I think about 11-12^oC maximum surface temperature is the limit for this process to occur under its own steam, otherwise, you need some mechanical process to get the nutrients to the top.

Edited April 6, 2015 by StringJunky

[pavelcherepan]

You've still got to feed that phytoplankton. I don't think the waters need inoculating with them; they are already there just waiting, in low numbers, for nutrients so they can bloom

 

Then we should dump nutrients in the seas

Edited April 6, 2015 by pavelcherepan

[StringJunky]

 

Then we should dump nutrients in the seas

Ok I'll ring ICI and get an order for a few gigatons of ammonium nitrate in.

[pavelcherepan]

Ok I'll ring ICI and get an order for a few gigatons of ammonium nitrate in.

 

Good. Problem solved

[Harold Squared]

Another benefit: a remote location to conduct fiendish GMO experiments. North Carolina universities recently got a project together on "Bioengineering Microalgae for Large-Scale Production of Therapeutic Antibodies Against Ebola, West Nile Virus and Rabies" for example. Given that virtually nobody wants anything new or even potentially risky near their backyard, an artificial island farrr offshore might be an ideal location.

 

Thank you for your contributions so far. Ammonium nitrate might not be the only or the best required substance and large quantities of same are quite dangerous as any old timer from Texas City can tell you. Might just take a little iron or phosphorus, as results come in we can tailor the mix to optimum.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Harold Squared