Ocean urea fertilization for carbon credits poses high ecological risks

Glibert, PM; Azanza, R; Burford, M; Furuya, K; Abal, E; Al-Azri, A; Al-Yamani, F; Andersen, P; Anderson, DM; Beardall, J; Berg, GM; Brand, L; Bronk, D; Brookes, J; Burkholder, JAM; Cembella, A; Cochlan, WP; Collier, JL; Collos, Y; Diaz, R; Doblin, M; Drennen, T; Dyhrman, S; Fukuyo, Y; Furnas, M; Galloway, J; Granéli, E; Ha, DV; Hallegraeff, G; Harrison, J; Harrison, PJ; Heil, CA; Heimann, K; Howarth, R; Jauzein, C; Kana, AA; Kana, TM; Kim, H; Kudela, R; Legrand, C; Mallin, M; Mulholland, M; Murray, S; O'Neil, J; Pitcher, G; Qi, Y; Rabalais, N; Raine, R; Seitzinger, S; Salomon, PS; Solomon, C; Stoecker, DK; Usup, G; Wilson, J; Yin, K; Zhou, M; Zhu, M

Ocean urea fertilization for carbon credits poses high ecological risks

Glibert, PM Azanza, R Burford, M Furuya, K Abal, E Al-Azri, A Al-Yamani, F Andersen, P Anderson, DM Beardall, J Berg, GM Brand, L Bronk, D Brookes, J Burkholder, JAM Cembella, A Cochlan, WP Collier, JL Collos, Y Diaz, R Doblin, M

Drennen, T Dyhrman, S Fukuyo, Y Furnas, M Galloway, J Granéli, E Ha, DV Hallegraeff, G

Harrison, J Harrison, PJ Heil, CA Heimann, K Howarth, R Jauzein, C Kana, AA Kana, TM Kim, H Kudela, R Legrand, C Mallin, M Mulholland, M Murray, S

O'Neil, J Pitcher, G Qi, Y Rabalais, N Raine, R Seitzinger, S Salomon, PS Solomon, C Stoecker, DK Usup, G Wilson, J Yin, K Zhou, M Zhu, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2008, 56 (6), pp. 1049 - 1056
Issue Date:: 2008-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Glibert, PM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Azanza, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Burford, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Furuya, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Abal, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Al-Azri, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Al-Yamani, F	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Andersen, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Anderson, DM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Beardall, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Berg, GM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brand, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bronk, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brookes, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Burkholder, JAM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cembella, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cochlan, WP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Collier, JL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Collos, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Diaz, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Doblin, M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8750-3433	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Drennen, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dyhrman, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fukuyo, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Furnas, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Galloway, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Granéli, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ha, DV	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hallegraeff, G https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8464-7343	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Harrison, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Harrison, PJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Heil, CA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Heimann, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Howarth, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Jauzein, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kana, AA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kana, TM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kim, H	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kudela, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Legrand, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mallin, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mulholland, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Murray, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7096-1307	en_US
dc.contributor.author	O'Neil, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pitcher, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Qi, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rabalais, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Raine, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Seitzinger, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Salomon, PS	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Solomon, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Stoecker, DK	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Usup, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Wilson, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Yin, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zhou, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zhu, M	en_US
dc.date.available	2008-03-02	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-06-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2008, 56 (6), pp. 1049 - 1056	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0025-326X	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/8674
dc.description.abstract	The proposed plan for enrichment of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, a region of rich marine biodiversity, with thousands of tonnes of urea in order to stimulate algal blooms and sequester carbon is flawed for multiple reasons. Urea is preferentially used as a nitrogen source by some cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, many of which are neutrally or positively buoyant. Biological pumps to the deep sea are classically leaky, and the inefficient burial of new biomass makes the estimation of a net loss of carbon from the atmosphere questionable at best. The potential for growth of toxic dinoflagellates is also high, as many grow well on urea and some even increase their toxicity when grown on urea. Many toxic dinoflagellates form cysts which can settle to the sediment and germinate in subsequent years, forming new blooms even without further fertilization. If large-scale blooms do occur, it is likely that they will contribute to hypoxia in the bottom waters upon decomposition. Lastly, urea production requires fossil fuel usage, further limiting the potential for net carbon sequestration. The environmental and economic impacts are potentially great and need to be rigorously assessed. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Marine Pollution Bulletin	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.03.010	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Carbon	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Urea	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fertilizers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Greenhouse Effect	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Oceans and Seas	en_US
dc.title	Ocean urea fertilization for carbon credits poses high ecological risks	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	56	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	56	en_US

Abstract:

The proposed plan for enrichment of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, a region of rich marine biodiversity, with thousands of tonnes of urea in order to stimulate algal blooms and sequester carbon is flawed for multiple reasons. Urea is preferentially used as a nitrogen source by some cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, many of which are neutrally or positively buoyant. Biological pumps to the deep sea are classically leaky, and the inefficient burial of new biomass makes the estimation of a net loss of carbon from the atmosphere questionable at best. The potential for growth of toxic dinoflagellates is also high, as many grow well on urea and some even increase their toxicity when grown on urea. Many toxic dinoflagellates form cysts which can settle to the sediment and germinate in subsequent years, forming new blooms even without further fertilization. If large-scale blooms do occur, it is likely that they will contribute to hypoxia in the bottom waters upon decomposition. Lastly, urea production requires fossil fuel usage, further limiting the potential for net carbon sequestration. The environmental and economic impacts are potentially great and need to be rigorously assessed. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/8674