CARBON REMOVAL
Phytoplankton Carbon Removal
To stabilize and restore Earth’s climate, we will need to capture billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. We support cutting edge research to fertilize photosynthetic plankton (phytoplankton), which can absorb much of this excess carbon and store it safely in the deep oceans for hundreds of years to come.
Why phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the ocean’s primary producers: microscopic plants that draw carbon dioxide out of surface waters through photosynthesis. When they die or are eaten, a portion of that carbon sinks into the deep ocean, where it can remain isolated from the atmosphere for centuries.
Anthropocene Institute funds and promotes field and laboratory research into ocean fertilization — adding limiting nutrients such as iron to nutrient-poor waters — to understand how much carbon this process can durably remove, and how to measure and verify it responsibly.
