CO2: Good or Bad : Deep Sea News

Profile

Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.

Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.

Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.

Google All DSN Posts

Awards & Affiliations

Search

Other Information

My book is coming out. Include a link and thumbnail.

Other random info. A link.

Deep Sea News has moved! Make sure to update your bookmarks and feed readers.

« Mommy, Where Do Turtles Go To Die? | Main | Bush & McCain On Offshore Drilling: "There Is No Excuse For Delay" »

CO2: Good or Bad

Category: Conservation & Environment
Posted on: June 18, 2008 10:00 AM, by CR McClain

Guardian Online is running a couple of responses to Wallace Broecker's call for carbon storage experiments in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Worth reading all to understand the pros and cons for yourself.

CO2 disposal in the ocean is a dangerous distraction

Deep divisions

Find more posts in: Environment

TrackBacks

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/74383

Comments

Broecker's piece refers to work by Brewer at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute but doesn't mention the experiments written up by Barry et al (2004) in the Journal of Oceanography (Effects of Direct Ocean CO2 Injection on Deep-Sea Meiofauna)

Abstract:
Purposeful deep-sea carbon dioxide sequestration by direct injection of liquid CO2 into the deep waters of the ocean has the potential to mitigate the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases. One issue of concern for this carbon sequestration option is the impact of changes in seawater chemistry caused by CO2 injection on deep-sea ecosystems. The effects of deep-sea carbon dioxide injection on infaunal deep-sea organisms were evaluated during a field experiment in 3600 m depth off California, in which liquid CO2 was released on the seafloor. Exposure to the dissolution plume emanating from the liquid CO2 resulted in high rates of mortality for flagellates, amoebae, and nematodes inhabiting sediments in close proximity to sites of CO2 release. Results from this study indicate that large changes in seawater chemistry (i.e. pH reductions of ~0.5-1.0 pH units) near CO2 release sites will cause high mortality rates for nearby infaunal deep-sea communities.

Posted by: Anthony Judd | June 18, 2008 10:36 AM