The World Wildlife Fund announced its opposition to a plan by the for-profit Planktos, Inc. to dump up to 100 tons of iron dust in the open ocean west of the Galapagos Islands. The experiment is designed to produce phytoplankton blooms that may absorb carbon dioxide. The American company is speculating on lucrative ways to combat climate change. But WWF spokespersons say there are safer and more proven ways of preventing or lowering carbon dioxide levels, and that the real risks in this experiment could cause a domino effect throughout the food web.
Potential negative impacts of the Planktos experiment include: shifts in the natural species composition of plankton; gases released by the large amount of phytoplankton blooms; bacterial decay following the induced blooms and the resulting anoxia, leading to a potential dead zone in the area; the introduction of large amounts of impure (but cost-effective) iron to the ecosystem, tainted by other trace metals toxic to marine life.
The waters around the Galapagos are rich with 400 species of fish, as well as sea turtles, penguins, marine iguanas, sperm whales, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, crabs, anemones, sponges and corals. Many of these animals are found nowhere else on earth. Planktos, Inc. plans to dump the iron in international waters using vessels neither flagged under the United States nor leaving from the U.S., so federal regulations such as the U.S. Ocean Dumping Act don’t apply and details don’t need to be disclosed to U.S. entities.
Take note: a new form of piracy is born. Science piracy on the high seas. Isn’t Sea Shepherd in the area right about now? Calling the good Pirate, I mean, Captain Paul Watson . . .
BTW, here’s a good example of the media getting it all wrong:
