AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
MEDIA RELEASE
AAS 28/10
8 October 2010
Mitigating climate change: Enhancing carbon sequestration in the ocean
Enhancing oceans’ ability to sequester carbon via geo-engineering has been suggested as a possible
means of mitigating the effects of climate change.
Iron fertilisation has potential to stimulate artificial algal blooms, where the increase in plant growth may
act as a carbon collector. Another possible solution is to pump carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into
deep ocean ‘lakes’ and geological formations.
The 2010 UK-Australia Frontiers of Science – Marine Science Meeting being held in Perth from 10 to 12
October will provide the opportunity to discuss the possibility of both scenarios. The event is part of world
wide celebrations for the 350th
Anniversary of the UK Royal Society. The Australian Academy of Science
and the Royal Society are the major supporters of the meeting through the Theo Murphy Fund.
Associate Professor Peter Strutton from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic
Studies will introduce the climatology session and provide an overview of the sequestration possibilities
including iron fertilisation, carbon dioxide injection into deep ocean areas, and increased carbon storage
in coastal vegetation and ecosystems.
Professor Anya Waite from The University of Western Australia will discuss experiments over the past 20
years in iron fertilisation in our oceans, with particular reference to the Southern Ocean. Opportunities
and challenges have emerged in that time, as have questions surrounding long term impacts. Current
scientific and ethical controversies will also be discussed.
Dr Nem Vaughan from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change at the University of East Anglia, UK, will
discuss the scale of geo-engineering ideas and their mitigation potential alongside the necessary
reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The impact of geo-engineering on adaptation will also be
examined.
Media are welcome to attend and interview speakers on Sunday 10 October.
The Royal society released a major study on this topic last year entitled Geo-engineering the climate:
science governance and uncertainty which can be found at
Event: 2010 UK-Australia Frontiers of Science – Marine Science Meeting
Date: 10 to 12 October 2010
Venue: Rendezvous Observation City Hotel, 140 The Esplanade, Scarborough, Perth
Media Contact: Sue McKenna on 0011 61 8 9254 4044 or 0424 196 771
or Kerry Hodson on 0011 61 8 9447 0756 or 0438 565 086
Sue or Kerry at the conference venue on 0011 61 8 9340 5628
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