First alkalinity federal program in the U.S.

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OCEAN ALKALINITY TRIAL

The results from a ‘climate intervention experiment’ that occurred off the coast of the Gulf of Maine last August are in, with scientists concluding ‘no harm to marine life’.

The experiment marked the first U.S government-permitted field trial of ocean alkalinity geoengineering enhancement on a federal level.

This technique is one of several emerging ‘marine carbon dioxide removal techniques’ being explored as governments and researchers search for ways to ‘limit global warming’.

The central idea is this: by increasing the alkalinity of seawater, scientists aim to ‘enhance the ocean’s natural capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere’.

The project was led by scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), forms part of a wider research initiative known as LOC-NESS — yes, a pun on Loch Ness.

It is short for ‘Locking Ocean Carbon in the Northeast Shelf and Slope’.

In the geoengineering alkalinity trial, researchers released a carefully measured quantity of highly purified sodium hydroxide solution into a defined patch of ocean water.

A fluorescent tracer dye was deployed simultaneously to allow scientists to track how the treated water mass dispersed and mixed with surrounding seawater.

Monitoring equipment aboard the research vessel and in the water column measured changes in alkalinity, pH, dissolved inorganic carbon and other chemical parameters.

According to WHOI researchers, the aim was not to sequester meaningful quantities of carbon, but to test monitoring techniques, validate predictive models, and assess responses.

Researchers say data from the trial will ‘inform future assessments’ of whether larger-scale deployments could be feasible, safe, or verifiable.

The LOC-NESS initiative builds on more than a decade of lab studies and modelling work on ‘marine carbon dioxide removal’ – with interest increasing due to the Paris Agreement.

OAE aims to ‘amplify processes’ that occur naturally over the coming years, testing what happens when rainwater weathers alkaline rocks and carries dissolved minerals into the sea.

Environmental organisations have warned that deliberate chemical modification of marine systems carries poorly understood risks.

Concerns include potential harm to plankton communities, unintended chemical by-products, and impacts on fisheries in one of North America’s most economically significant fishing grounds. The Gulf of Maine supports lobster, scallop, and groundfish industries.

Some advocacy groups have called for stricter international oversight of marine climate interventions, pointing to gaps in existing ocean governance frameworks.

The project underscores both the scientific ambition and the political sensitivity surrounding efforts to engineer ‘climate solutions’ in the world’s oceans.

As climate narratives intensify, debates over the role of such interventions are likely to grow, particularly in coastal regions where livelihoods depend on the health of marine ecosystems.

And, although this is the first federal experiment allowed, it isn’t the first time this type of geoengineering has happened in the U.S. Florida was the first state to allow small projects.

ALREADY IN FLORIDA

Florida was the testing ground for this new type of ‘marine carbon removal’ experiments, with scientists convincing the state government that ‘chemically altering the seas’ through alkalinity enhancement was the world’s ‘best hope to suck carbon out of the atmosphere’.

Scientists began theorising this type of ‘solution’ of using ‘enhanced weathering’ to remove CO2 from the atmosphere in 2019, writing a paper calling for this change.

In 2023, Florida put it into action, with scientists injecting 2000 litres of seawater enriched with lime, an alkaline powder, and a primary ingredient in cement that’s derived from chalk.

Concerns raised over ocean alkaline geoengineering
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The plume of lime is supposedly used as a way to ‘neutralise acidic waters’ – a method that is tracked by a ‘nontoxic dye’ that turns the ocean a blood red colour.

Marine experts have sounded the alarm over these alkaline geoengineering experiments and radical efforts to ‘speed up the process of removing CO2 from the atmosphere’.

The United States is not alone in exploring ‘marine carbon removal’.

Research programmes in Europe and elsewhere are investigating related approaches, including mineral additions and electrochemical methods.

In Australia, although no active experiments are occurring, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), University of Melbourne, and UNSW are all doing controlled studies.

They want to get a ‘better understanding’ of the potential risks and benefits before deploying on a large scale – although, CSIRO have already done small experiments.

Australian scientists are involved in international OAE networks like the “Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Research Network,” which co-ordinates data sharing, best practices, and small-scale pilot studies. This keeps Australia plugged in even without local field trials.

Indeed, this is a new form of geoengineering we should all keep our eyes on.

No longer just in the skies, weather and climate manipulation is taking new shapes and forms in the 21^st Century, and all of them have the potential to cause irreversible results.

I might do a bigger deep dive into Australia’s involvement specifically in later pieces.

For now, just know that the U.S government has concluded it is ‘safe and effective’.

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