Sponsoring Agencies: International Maritime Organization, IOC-UNESCO, World Meteorological Organization
Building on the definition of the London Protocol, WG 41 defines ocean interventions as deliberate interventions in the marine environment to manipulate natural processes, primarily those intended to counteract anthropogenic climate change and/or its impacts, with the potential to result in deleterious effects, especially where those effects may be widespread, long-lasting or severe. Such interventions were previously called marine geoengineering.
Ocean interventions for the purpose of counteracting anthropogenic climate change and/or its impacts include proposals for marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) e.g., ocean alkalinity enhancement, macroalgae cultivation for sequestration, ocean fertilisation, as well as solar radiation modification (SRM) e.g., ocean foams/bubbles, marine cloud brightening. Ocean interventions for non-climate related purposes include e.g. fisheries enhancement, or ocean/cryosphere engineering.
Ocean Climate Intervention Proposals
The current proposals on ocean climate intervention that GESAMP is aware of as of 13 September 2023 can be found here. Any information about additional proposals would be welcome. Please send any such information through our contact form