A Societal Challenge
The question is not whether we have the capability
of embarking upon such an engineering strategy but
whether we have the collective wisdom to responsibly negotiate such a course of action. Posing the
question another way: If we do not have the social,
political and economic tools or motivation to control
our own population and greenhouse gas emissions,
what gives us the confidence that we have the wisdom and ability to responsibly manipulate and control large ocean ecosystems without propagating yet
another massive environmental calamity? Have we
as an international community first tackled the difficult but obvious problem of overpopulation and
implemented alternative energy technologies for
transportation, industry, and domestic use?
Other social questions arise as well. Is it appropriate to use the ocean commons for such a purpose?
What individuals, companies, or countries would
derive monetary compensation for such an effort and
how would this be decided?
It is clear that there are major scientific investigations and findings that can only benefit from large-scale
open ocean enrichment experiments, but certainly a
large-scale carbon sequestration effort should not
proceed without a clear understanding of both the
science and the answers to the questions above.
Glossary
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution
Radiometer
HNHC High-nitrate high-chlorophyll
HNLC
High-nitrate low-chlorophyll
IronEx
Iron Enrichment Experiment
LIDAR
Light detection and ranging
LNHC
Low-nitrate high-chlorophyll
LNLC
Low-nitrate low-chlorophyll
NADPH Reduced form of nicotinamide–adenine
dinucleotide phosphate
SOIREE Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment
Experiment
See also
Nitrogen Cycle. Phosphorus Cycle.
Further Reading
Abraham ER, Law CS, Boyd PW, et al. (2000) Importance
of stirring in the development of an iron-fertilized
phytoplankton bloom. Nature 407: 727--730.
Barbeau K, Moffett JW, Caron DA, Croot PL, and Erdner
DL (1996) Role of protozoan grazing in relieving iron
limitation of phytoplankton. Nature 380: 61--64.
Behrenfeld MJ, Bale AJ, Kobler ZS, Aiken J, and
Falkowski PG (1996) Confirmation of iron limitation of
phytoplankton photosynthesis in Equatorial Pacific
Ocean. Nature 383: 508--511.
Boyd PW, Watson AJ, Law CS, et al. (2000) A mesoscale
phytoplankton bloom in the polar Southern Ocean
stimulated by iron fertilization. Nature 407: 695--702.
Cavender-Bares KK, Mann EL, Chishom SW, Ondrusek
ME, and Bidigare RR (1999) Differential response of
equatorial phytoplankton to iron fertilization.
Limnology and Oceanography 44: 237--246.
Coale KH, Johnson KS, Fitzwater SE, et al. (1996) A
massive phytoplankton bloom induced by an ecosystemscale iron fertilization experiment in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. Nature 383: 495--501.
Coale KH, Johnson KS, Fitzwater SE, et al. (1998) IronExI, an in situ iron-enrichment experiment: experimental
design, implementation and results. Deep-Sea Research
Part II 45: 919--945.
Elrod VA, Johnson KS, and Coale KH (1991)
Determination of subnanomolar levels of iron (II)
and total dissolved iron in seawater by flow injection
analysis with chemiluminescence dection. Analytical
Chemistry 63: 893--898.
Fitzwater SE, Coale KH, Gordon RM, Johnson KS, and
Ondrusek ME (1996) Iron deficiency and phytoplankton growth in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research
Part II 43: 995--1015.
Greene RM, Geider RJ, and Falkowski PG (1991) Effect of
iron lititation on photosynthesis in a marine diatom.
Limnology Oceanogrography 36: 1772--1782.
Hoge EF, Wright CW, Swift RN, et al. (1998) Fluorescence
signatures of an iron-enriched phytoplankton community in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea
Research Part II 45: 1073--1082.
Johnson KS, Coale KH, Elrod VA, and Tinsdale NW
(1994) Iron photochemistry in seawater from the
Equatorial Pacific. Marine Chemistry 46: 319--334.
Kolber ZS, Barber RT, Coale KH, et al. (1994) Iron
limitation of phytoplankton photosynthesis in the
Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Nature 371: 145--149.
Landry MR, Ondrusek ME, Tanner SJ, et al. (2000)
Biological response to iron fertilization in the eastern
equtorial Pacific (Ironex II). I. Microplankton
community abundances and biomass. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 201: 27--42.
LaRoche J, Boyd PW, McKay RML, and Geider RJ (1996)
Flavodoxin as an in situ marker for iron stress in
phytoplankton. Nature 382: 802--805.
Law CS, Watson AJ, Liddicoat MI, and Stanton T (1998)
Sulfer hexafloride as a tracer of biogeochemical and
physical processes in an open-ocean iron fertilization
experiment. Deep-Sea Research Part II 45: 977--994.
Martin JH, Coale KH, Johnson KS, et al. (1994) Testing
the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. Nature 371: 123--129.
110 IRON FERTILIZATION
The question is not whether we have the capability
of embarking upon such an engineering strategy but
whether we have the collective wisdom to responsibly negotiate such a course of action. Posing the
question another way: If we do not have the social,
political and economic tools or motivation to control
our own population and greenhouse gas emissions,
what gives us the confidence that we have the wisdom and ability to responsibly manipulate and control large ocean ecosystems without propagating yet
another massive environmental calamity? Have we
as an international community first tackled the difficult but obvious problem of overpopulation and
implemented alternative energy technologies for
transportation, industry, and domestic use?
Other social questions arise as well. Is it appropriate to use the ocean commons for such a purpose?
What individuals, companies, or countries would
derive monetary compensation for such an effort and
how would this be decided?
It is clear that there are major scientific investigations and findings that can only benefit from large-scale
open ocean enrichment experiments, but certainly a
large-scale carbon sequestration effort should not
proceed without a clear understanding of both the
science and the answers to the questions above.
Glossary
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution
Radiometer
HNHC High-nitrate high-chlorophyll
HNLC
High-nitrate low-chlorophyll
IronEx
Iron Enrichment Experiment
LIDAR
Light detection and ranging
LNHC
Low-nitrate high-chlorophyll
LNLC
Low-nitrate low-chlorophyll
NADPH Reduced form of nicotinamide–adenine
dinucleotide phosphate
SOIREE Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment
Experiment
See also
Nitrogen Cycle. Phosphorus Cycle.
Further Reading
Abraham ER, Law CS, Boyd PW, et al. (2000) Importance
of stirring in the development of an iron-fertilized
phytoplankton bloom. Nature 407: 727--730.
Barbeau K, Moffett JW, Caron DA, Croot PL, and Erdner
DL (1996) Role of protozoan grazing in relieving iron
limitation of phytoplankton. Nature 380: 61--64.
Behrenfeld MJ, Bale AJ, Kobler ZS, Aiken J, and
Falkowski PG (1996) Confirmation of iron limitation of
phytoplankton photosynthesis in Equatorial Pacific
Ocean. Nature 383: 508--511.
Boyd PW, Watson AJ, Law CS, et al. (2000) A mesoscale
phytoplankton bloom in the polar Southern Ocean
stimulated by iron fertilization. Nature 407: 695--702.
Cavender-Bares KK, Mann EL, Chishom SW, Ondrusek
ME, and Bidigare RR (1999) Differential response of
equatorial phytoplankton to iron fertilization.
Limnology and Oceanography 44: 237--246.
Coale KH, Johnson KS, Fitzwater SE, et al. (1996) A
massive phytoplankton bloom induced by an ecosystemscale iron fertilization experiment in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. Nature 383: 495--501.
Coale KH, Johnson KS, Fitzwater SE, et al. (1998) IronExI, an in situ iron-enrichment experiment: experimental
design, implementation and results. Deep-Sea Research
Part II 45: 919--945.
Elrod VA, Johnson KS, and Coale KH (1991)
Determination of subnanomolar levels of iron (II)
and total dissolved iron in seawater by flow injection
analysis with chemiluminescence dection. Analytical
Chemistry 63: 893--898.
Fitzwater SE, Coale KH, Gordon RM, Johnson KS, and
Ondrusek ME (1996) Iron deficiency and phytoplankton growth in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research
Part II 43: 995--1015.
Greene RM, Geider RJ, and Falkowski PG (1991) Effect of
iron lititation on photosynthesis in a marine diatom.
Limnology Oceanogrography 36: 1772--1782.
Hoge EF, Wright CW, Swift RN, et al. (1998) Fluorescence
signatures of an iron-enriched phytoplankton community in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea
Research Part II 45: 1073--1082.
Johnson KS, Coale KH, Elrod VA, and Tinsdale NW
(1994) Iron photochemistry in seawater from the
Equatorial Pacific. Marine Chemistry 46: 319--334.
Kolber ZS, Barber RT, Coale KH, et al. (1994) Iron
limitation of phytoplankton photosynthesis in the
Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Nature 371: 145--149.
Landry MR, Ondrusek ME, Tanner SJ, et al. (2000)
Biological response to iron fertilization in the eastern
equtorial Pacific (Ironex II). I. Microplankton
community abundances and biomass. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 201: 27--42.
LaRoche J, Boyd PW, McKay RML, and Geider RJ (1996)
Flavodoxin as an in situ marker for iron stress in
phytoplankton. Nature 382: 802--805.
Law CS, Watson AJ, Liddicoat MI, and Stanton T (1998)
Sulfer hexafloride as a tracer of biogeochemical and
physical processes in an open-ocean iron fertilization
experiment. Deep-Sea Research Part II 45: 977--994.
Martin JH, Coale KH, Johnson KS, et al. (1994) Testing
the iron hypothesis in ecosystems of the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. Nature 371: 123--129.
110 IRON FERTILIZATION