Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal
Defining key principles for “fishery sensitive” mCDR
The Goal
To cultivate an informed and authoritative fishing community voice on the emergent field of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR).
The Need
Some climate problem-solvers are investigating the potential to put the ocean’s biological and chemical cycles to work to remove and store large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, as potential solutions to avert the worst impacts of global climate change. Ocean-dependent communities, like those involved in commercial fishing, have an important role to play in defining key principles to govern this emerging field and ensuring that future implementation takes full account of the need to sustain domestic food security and heritage.
How Fishermen Are Mobilizing for Action
Fishermen are working through the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign in partnership with the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and several supporting partners to produce guidance documents outlining the need for mCDR research to be conducted in ways that respect and uphold the integrity of marine ecosystems and ocean-dependent communities. We call this “fishery sensitive” mCDR.
Get involved and have a voice
Join a virtual roundtable to provide your input
In early 2025, fishermen and industry representatives are invited to participate in a virtual roundtable with their peers from the industry to inform the production of mCDR guidance documents through this project. There are multiple dates to choose from, and stipends are available. We are seeking open-minded problem-solvers from the fishing industry to brainstorm key principles and best practices.
What is mCDR?
According to many of the world’s climate scientists, it is no longer possible to avoid major climate disruption by limiting future greenhouse gas emisisons alone; we now also need to extract some of the carbon dioxide that has already been emitted into the atmosphere by human activities and store it somewhere stable so it can’t get back out again for thousands of years. Scientists and engineers are exploring a variety of strategies to accomplish this, ranging from direct air capture to blue carbon to soil-based carbon sequestration and more. All potential strategies involve numerous unanswered technical, economic, and environmental questions.
Given the ocean’s vastness and its already vital role in the carbon cycle (oceans have sequestered 30% of excess anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions), some climate problem-solvers are interested in leveraging the ocean’s cycles to absorb and store even greater quantities of carbon dioxide. These techniques are called marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR).
BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES
Macroalgal cultivation and sinking: Seaweed farms absorb carbon dioxide while photosynthesizing; seaweed is then deliberately sunk to the deep ocean where the carbon may be stored long-term.
Ocean fertilization: Macronutrients like nitrogen or trace nutrients like iron are added to an ocean patch to stimulate a phytoplankton bloom; carbon removal may then occur if this plankton falls to the bottom and remains there long-term.
Artificial upwelling: Nutrient-rich water is pumped from the depth to the surface, where it may stimulate a phytoplankton bloom.
Artificial downwelling: Plankton-rich water is pumped to the bottom where it may be stored long-term.
CHEMISTRY-BASED APPROACHES
Ocean alkalinity enhancement: Alkaline molecules added to seawater react with carbon dioxide molecules already in the water, making it possible for the ocean to absorb additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Potential methods include the addition of minerals (e.g., lime, olivine) and alkaline chemicals, either through ship-based disperal or enhanced coastal weathering.
Direct ocean capture: Carbon dioxide is “stripped” from ocean water using electrochemical methods that separate water into an acidic stream and an alkaline stream. The alkaline stream is added back into the ocean while the acidic stream is stored or used in industrial processes.
GAINING TRACTION
mCDR is attracting the interest of the world’s climate problem-solvers, and start-up companies are eager to build an mCDR economy. However, many questions remain about mCDR’s efficacy, measurability, and social and environmental impacts. A series of federally supported initiatives in recent years has emerged to answer these questions and ensure the public interest is met.
A Call to Action
Now is the time for fishermen to get informed and involved in establishing a credible and cohesive fishing industry voice on mCDR issues. To that end, a set of project partners led by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign will convene fishermen from Alaska, the West Coast, and the Northeast for dialogue, learning, brainstorming, and visioning. This is a fishing industry led project that aspires to center fisheries impacts and co-benefits at every stage of mCDR research and governance.
Expected Work Products
Project collaborators will produce three documents defining core principles and best practices at the heart of fishery sensitive mCDR.
Key policy principles to define fishery sensitive mCDR and inform governance and permitting
Best practices for mCDR researchers and permitting agencies for engaging the fishing community at all stages of planning, permitting, and implementation
Guidelines for involving fishermen as co-producers of knowledge in an mCDR context: cooperative research, Fishermen’s Ecological Knowledge (FEK), research co-design, co-analysis, etc.
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