M
anmade CO2 has already increased ocean acidity by more than 30%, significantly altering the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is an emerging carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach that drives CDR via introducting alkaline substances into seawater, shifting the carbonate chemistry equilibrium. The decline in seawater CO2 concentration lowers the seawater CO2 partial pressure, which either allows an influx of more atmospheric CO2, or reduces the efflux where the surface ocean is a natural CO2 source. The viability of OAE as a scalable CDR approach, however, depends on whether it is environmentally safe. Therefore, we need to know how ocean communities will respond to ocean alkalinisation. In this study, we investigate the impacts of OAE on shallow benthic and pelagic communities, with the aim to understand the physiological responses and uncover any thresholds in the sensitivity of key taxa to OAE.
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| OAEPIIP team at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. |
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