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2008: Ocean Iron Fertilization - Special Issue of Marine Ecology Progress Series Print E-mail
Saturday, 23 January 2010 16:06

Implications of large-scale iron fertilization of the oceans

Introduction and synthesis

 

Philip W. Boyd

NIWA Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
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ABSTRACT: A historical perspective of the scientific study of ocean iron fertilization (OIF) over the last 15 yr prefaces a short synthesis of the multi-faceted issues raised by the 11 contributions to this Theme Section. These issues, which range from ethical to logistical, must be aired in discussions surrounding OIF and its commercial application as a potential climate mitigation tool. Two other issues, not considered in detail by the contributors, are also addressed: (1) the importance of the rate of change in atmospheric CO2 following sustained global OIF (other than model simulations, the only data presently available to assess this comes from the geological record, e.g. Vostok ice core record of dust supply and atmospheric CO2); and (2) the necessity of making realistic estimates of the cost of OIF (i.e. carbon sequestered per unit of iron added) to provide comparisons of the ratio of cost:environmental risk of OIF with other mitigation strategies.

MEPS 364:213-309 | Complete Theme Section in pdf format (2 MB)

Boyd PW
Introduction and synthesis
MEPS 364:213-218 | Full text in pdf format

Denman KL
Climate change, ocean processes and ocean iron fertilization
MEPS 364:219-225 | Full text in pdf format

Freestone D, Rayfuse R
Ocean iron fertilization and international law
MEPS 364:227-233 | Full text in pdf format

Orbach MK
Cultural context of ocean fertilization
MEPS 364:235-242 | Full text in pdf format

Huesemann MH
Ocean fertilization and other climate change mitigation strategies: an overview
MEPS 364:243-250 | Full text in pdf format

Leinen M
Building relationships between scientists and business in ocean iron fertilization
MEPS 364:251-256 | Full text in pdf format

Karl DM, Letelier RM
Nitrogen fixation-enhanced carbon sequestration in low nitrate, low chlorophyll seascapes
MEPS 364:257-268 | Full text in pdf format

de Baar HJW, Gerringa LJA, Laan P, Timmermans KR
Efficiency of carbon removal per added iron in ocean iron fertilization
MEPS 364:269-282 | Full text in pdf format

Law CS
Predicting and monitoring the effects of large-scale ocean iron fertilization on marine trace gas emissions
MEPS 364:283-288 | Full text in pdf format

Gnanadesikan A, Marinov I
Export is not enough: nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration
MEPS 364:289-294 | Full text in pdf format

Cullen JJ, Boyd PW
Predicting and verifying the intended and unintended consequences of large-scale ocean iron fertilization
MEPS 364:295-301 | Full text in pdf format

Watson AJ, Boyd PW, Turner SM, Jickells TD, Liss PS
Designing the next generation of ocean iron fertilization experiments
MEPS 364:303-309 | Full text in pdf format