Plankton food web structure and productivity under ocean alkalinity enhancement.

ABSTRACT: Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a nature-based technology for CO₂ removal and storage, but little is known about its environmental safety. We tested a CO₂-equilibrated OAE deployment in a close-to-natural community using in situ mesocosms in the oligotrophic subtropical North Atlantic and assessed metazoan zooplankton to inform about food web stability, structure, and production. In addition, a literature review complemented experimental results by summarizing physiological responses of marine animals to decreasing proton concentrations, or increased pH. The food web studied proved resistant, and zooplankton physiologically tolerant, to the OAE tested. We observed short-term effects of OAE on zooplankton reproduction and productivity, which were likely trophical

SUBMITTER: Sanchez N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11623272 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature