Ocean Fertilization. A Scientific Summary for Policy Makers

This paper considers the practicalities, opportunities and threats associated with one of the earliest proposed carbon-removal techniques: large-scale ocean fertilization, achieved by adding iron or other nutrients to surface waters. The intention is to enhance microscopic marine plant growth, on a scale large enough not only to significantly increase the uptake of atmospheric carbon by the ocean, but also to remove it from the atmosphere for long enough to provide global climatic benefit.