Dustin Carroll, a researcher here at MLML who leads the Ocean Modeling Lab and an affiliated scientist with San José State University, is leading new research on marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), an emerging approach to addressing climate change. His team has recently received $150,000 in funding from Google.org, along with an additional $150,000 from the nonprofit Ocean Visions.

The project aims to identify effective and environmentally responsible ways to enhance the ocean’s natural ability to absorb human-generated carbon dioxide (CO₂). While the ocean already serves as a major carbon sink, Carroll’s research focuses on evaluating how different mCDR strategies can safely increase long-term carbon storage.

To carry out this work, Carroll and collaborators at NASA utilize advanced tools including the Pleiades supercomputer and the ECCO-Darwin ocean biogeochemistry model. These systems enable researchers to run millions of simulations to assess carbon storage potential, ecosystem impacts, and large-scale changes in ocean systems.

The team is specifically investigating methods that enhance natural ocean processes, such as increasing ocean alkalinity to accelerate CO₂ neutralization and iron fertilization, adding small amounts of iron to stimulate phytoplankton growth, which can transport carbon to the deep ocean.

Together, this research represents a growing, collaborative effort to develop ocean-based climate solutions. By combining advanced modeling, cross-institutional partnerships, and emerging technologies, scientists aim to better understand both the potential benefits and environmental risks of marine carbon dioxide removal.

This article includes a feature from Dr. Sarah Smith, MLML's Biological Oceanography lab lead, who will also be collaborating on the mCDR project.

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