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doesn’t require adding nutrients, but some mineral forms of alkalinity, like basalts, introduce nutrients such as iron and silicate that can impact growth.
Solar radiation modification adds no nutrients but that move nutrients around.
Shifts in acidification and nutrients will . The resulting changes in the mix of phytoplankton matter: If different predators prefer different phytoplankton, the follow-on effects could , eventually impacting the fisheries millions of people rely on.
The least risky options for the ocean
Of all the methods we reviewed, we found that had the lowest direct risk to the ocean, but it isn’t risk-free. Electrochemical methods use an electric current to separate salt water into an alkaline stream and an acidic stream. This generates a chemically simple form of alkalinity with limited effects on biology, .
Other relatively low-risk options include to seawater, which would increase alkalinity with relatively few contaminants, and for long-term carbon storage.
Still, these approaches carry uncertainties and need further study.
Scientists typically to explore methods like these before testing them on a wide scale in the ocean, but the models are only as reliable as the data that grounds them. And many biological processes are still not well enough understood to be included in models.
For example, models don’t capture the effects of some in certain alkaline materials or how ecosystems may reorganize around new seaweed farm habitats. To accurately include effects like these in models, scientists first must study them in laboratories and sometimes small-scale field experiments.