Oceans are in decline. Projections show that fisheries could collapse by mid-century.
Today, 70 percent of fish populations are fully used, overused or in crisis.
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that float on the top layers of the ocean, providing fish and the entire ecosystem with food.
Phytoplankton rely upon sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and micronutrients like iron for their health and growth. Iron is mainly brought to the surface from the Earth’s iron-rich crust via upwelling currents or carried by the wind from deserts.
As the top layer of the ocean warms up as a result of climate change, the mixing and recycling with nutrient-rich deeper water declines.
A NASA study has shown a constant decrease of phytoplankton at a rate of 1% per year.
Less plankton means less food for fish. We are facing the collapse of the marine food chain as a result of climate change.
We can restore plankton by adding missing nutrients like iron to depleted areas in the open ocean. This can turn a declining ocean environment back into a teeming web of marine life.
The selected area must intersect the migratory routes of targeted, economically important fish.
Ocean seeding mimics the natural processes that add iron to the oceans.
Very little iron is required: about 1 cup per hectare.
Ocean seeding has been successfully tested in 12 previous scientific experiments.
Our way of life has put the ocean on the verge of collapse within this generation. If we want to secure our oceans, we must implement:
