Submitted Ideas

The ocean’s self-regulating mechanisms are in jeopardy.

Posted by Lars Henrikson | Washington, United States

Marine systems that once kept the ocean clean and chemically balanced are overtaxed. Coastal natural systems such as marshes, eel grass beds, mangrove forests and tidelands have been degraded or destroyed by human activities. In the open ocean, nutrient overload and other pollutants are creating dead zones. Additional CO2 in the ocean is acidifying the water both in costal areas and off-shore.

Are there ways to activate and energize the oceans' self-healing mechanisms to help restore the balance?
Can mussels and other filter-feeders clean up toxins? What would this look like?
Can seaweeds sequester carbon? How would this be scaled up to make a regional or global difference?
Can deep-water nutrient mixing support the growth of botanical plankton to sequester carbon and rebuild the bottom of the food chain?
Are there ways to support natural systems in cleaning up the toxins in dead zones?

For any of these approaches, can we learn enough about any potential down sides to make sure the solution chosen doesn't cause unforeseen negative side-effects?