Lobster Study Tests Ocean Alkalinity for
Scientists at Woods Hole are testing if adding alkaline materials to seawater can help it absorb more atmospheric carbon.
Scientists are testing whether adding alkaline materials to the ocean can help it absorb more atmospheric carbon dioxide, a process called marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's LOC-NESS project is leading this research in the Gulf of Maine, where warming waters are already impacting marine life.
Adam Subhas, a scientist at Woods Hole, heads the LOC-NESS initiative. His team conducted a field trial last summer, dispersing approximately 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Gulf of Maine's Wilkinson basin. They monitored the alkalinity and carbon uptake for four days using autonomous underwater vehicles. Subhas presented these findings at this year's Ocean Sciences Meeting.
Lobsters Under the Microscope
Based on data from last summer's trial, the team is now running two-year experiments to see how marine creatures respond to altered alkalinity. After initial studies on phytoplankton, the focus has shifted to lobsters. Lobster landings accounted for just under $700 million in U.S. seafood value in 2023.
Marine biologist Chris Murray built special floating mesh cups for the lobster experiments to prevent cannibalism. The team has not observed lethal effects from low or high alkalinity levels so far. They will analyze the lobsters' RNA at the trial's end to understand physiological responses, particularly their ability to secrete waste. Murray calls this research the "tip of the iceberg."
A Funding Crisis and European Hope
This research faces a severe funding shortage in the United States. According to a Guardian analysis of the Pulitzer Center's Ocean Carbon Removal Watch database, U.S. federal investments in mCDR totalled at least £44 million in 2023, spurring scientific trials. President Trump later announced sweeping cuts to federally funded ocean sciences.
"The funding cuts are affecting everyone," says Subhas. LOC-NESS is now described as the last "unicorn" for U.S. ocean carbon removal research. Ken Buesseler, a professor emeritus at Woods Hole, had his Department of Energy grant for iron fertilisation research stopped halfway through last year. He says only about half of the promised $5 million was paid out.
European Union grants are providing an alternative. Analysis shows the EU disbursed more than £8.5 million for marine carbon dioxide removal research over the past two years, funding more than 20 universities. In Sweden, senior lecturer Sam Dupont is using this support to study alkalinity thresholds for sea urchins, mussels, and fish eggs. He estimates it will take about a decade to determine safe alkalinity thresholds for marine life.
Proponents argue ocean carbon removal could help prevent surpassing the 2C global warming threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement, but only if used alongside fossil fuel reduction. Subhas stresses the need for clarity on large-scale emissions reductions while exploring novel approaches. Buesseler, struggling to secure the $30 million needed for a proposed 2028 experiment off Alaska, feels the scientific community is just "kicking the can."
