Appel à projet sur les impacts de l’alcalinisation induite pour contrer l’acidification des océans sur les organismes marins

15 mai 2022

Ocean alkalinity enhancement to counter ocean acidification – what are the impacts on marine life?

 

The Ocean Acidification and other ocean Changes – Impacts and Solutions (OACIS) Initiative launches a call for research projects on the effects of ocean alkalinity enhancement on marine ecosystems and organisms. This information is crucially lacking for making informed policy decisions.

 

Far from being just a victim of climate change, the ocean can also be part of the solution. A range of ocean-based measures have been proposed to counter the effects of climate change on the ocean, such as the development of marine renewable energy or the protection and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass beds, etc.). Another group of measures involve the active manipulation of Earth’s systems, such as ocean fertilization to increase carbon uptake by marine plankton, or ocean alkalinity enhancement: adding alkaline material to promote CO2 uptake and counter ocean acidification. To date there are few studies on the impact that these types of measures might have on marine life.

 

While the chemical consequences are well known, many questions remain on the technical implementation, cost effectiveness and potential impacts on marine life. Despite its high potential effectiveness, ocean alkalinity enhancement is therefore considered a concept stage measure.

 

This call for projects by OACIS will promote the science needed to advance our understanding about the biological and ecological impacts of ocean alkalinity enhancement.

 

The call will seek to respond to key questions such as (non-exhaustive list):

Could ocean alkalinity enhancement trigger the deposition of calcium carbonate on plants and animals and if so, what are the consequences and how could it be avoided?
Could ocean alkalinity enhancement overcome the negative impacts of ocean acidification in naturally acidified locations?
What are the positive and/or negative impacts on shellfish and finfish aquaculture?

 

Selection criteria :
 

Financial support in the range of €100,000 to €200,000 maximum, for a duration of 2 to 3 years.
The contribution from OACIS should not exceed 70% of the total project budget.

En savoir plus