Proponents argue ocean carbon removal is necessary to counteract the effects of the climate crisis but critics say more research is needed
A cluster of candy cane-striped smoke stacks dots the horizon of Tufts Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. Deep in the briny depths of Halifax harbour, something huge is happening: the ocean is being engineered to remove atmospheric carbon.
“This is what Mother Nature has done naturally for a few billion years in order to rebalance the atmospheric and ocean chemistry over long timescales,” says Dr Greg Rau, co-founder and senior scientist at Planetary Technologies.
Planetary Technologies is an ocean carbon-removal firm and one of a growing number of companies attempting to decrease excess atmospheric carbon – the main driver of the climate crisis – by speeding up naturally occurring carbon cycles in the ocean.
To do this, the company conducts ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), adding a chalk-like substance to the seawater, which allows the water to absorb and store more atmospheric carbon than usual.
This process also helps to offset ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, which is increasing dramatically.
Because it relies on an already occurring process, proponents say these technologies will not harm the marine creatures that call this harbour home, such as mackerel, sunfish, harbour seals and sea turtles.
