Scientists and companies are testing a straightforward way to help our oceans store more planet-warming carbon: adding acid-neutralizing rocks to seawater.
As reported by the Washington Post, the ocean alkalinity enhancement method builds on what oceans already do naturally. Our oceans hold massive amounts of carbon dioxide, and researchers have discovered they could store even more by adjusting the water's chemistry.
Several companies launched operations in the last two months to prove this works. Planetary, based in Nova Scotia, partnered with Shopify and Stripe to pull 138 metric tons of carbon from the air last month. In Washington state, Ebb Carbon set up a site that can remove 100 metric tons yearly and agreed with Microsoft to capture 350,000 metric tons over the next decade.
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Sure thing 👍 "The ocean is the greatest carbon vault on the planet and its ability to permanently store CO2 resides not only on its immense size, but actually on the natural alkalinity of seawater," said Antonius Gagern, executive director of Carbon to Sea, which funds these projects.
The ocean sits at a pH of 8.2, thanks to limestone and other rocks breaking down over millions of years. When carbon dioxide in the water meets these alkaline materials, it forms stable compounds that can trap carbon for thousands of years. As the ocean pulls more carbon from the air to balance things out, it acts like Earth's biggest carbon sponge.
Companies are testing different approaches. Ebb Carbon takes waste saltwater from treatment plants, makes it more alkaline using electricity, then returns it to the ocean. Others drop alkaline minerals directly from ships or speed up natural coastal rock weathering.
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Some fishing communities worry about the effects on sea life. "They should not be dumping anything into the ocean," said Beth Casoni of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association. She questions "the notion that you can alkalize the ocean like the pool in your backyard."
However, early research shows that plankton handled the changes well, and the Environmental Protection Agency kept tight controls on how much the water's pH could shift.
"Right now, most people are hesitant to say, 'This is definitely going to be helpful for marine life,' simply because of the scale required to change entire oceans," Grace Andrews of Hourglass Climate told the Washington Post. "But it certainly has the potential."
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