Our consortium has expertise in a wide range of research approaches, from field observations and field experimentation, to in situ and land-based mesocosm experimentation to microcosm and mono-specific culture experiments. Aiming at the most efficient way of identifying the safe operating space for OAE applications, we will employ the best-suited tool set for any given research question. The choice of research approaches and methodologies will thereby be guided by the outcomes of our geochemical studies as well as a dynamic exchange of information with other OAE researchers and Carbon to Sea grantees, with the aim to prioritize investigating OAE approaches with the highest potential for implementation.
Environmental impacts, risks, and co-benefits must be understood to protect marine ecosystems, biodiversity and ocean services. Such knowledge will also be critical for social acceptance of OAE. Impacts will be scale-dependent (e.g. point source vs. diluted areal release, acute vs. chronic response) and depend on physical (e.g. timescales of mixing and CO₂ equilibration), chemical (e.g. amount/type of alkaline substance, impurities), and biological site characteristics (e.g. ecosystem vulnerability). Our assessment of possible OAE impacts on pelagic ecosystems will build on a series of in situ pelagic mesocosm experiments (Riebesell et al. 2013) spanning a wide range of ecosystem types, from coastal to open ocean, tropical to polar, oligotrophic to eutrophic, testing for a variety of OAE applications.
Key questions are:
