Wu et al. (2023): Carbon dioxide removal via macroalgae open-ocean mariculture and sinking: an Earth system modeling study
Jiajun Wu, David P. Keller, Andreas Oschlies IN: Earth Syst. Dynam., 14, 185–221, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-185-2023
In this study, the authors investigate the maximum physical and biogeochemical potential of macroalgae open-ocean mariculture and sinking (MOS) as an ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method. Embedding a macroalgae model into an Earth system model, they simulate macroalgae mariculture in the open-ocean surface layer followed by fast sinking of the carbon-rich macroalgal biomass to the deep seafloor (depth>3000 m), which assumes no remineralization of the harvested biomass during the quick sinking. The authors also test the combination of MOS with artificial upwelling (AU), which fertilizes the macroalgae by pumping nutrient-rich deeper water to the surface.