mystery

A few months back, we published a few articles about the German ship that was going to go to the Antarctic to dump iron into the sea that would create and algal bloom that would suck up CO2 and save the planet for all of eternity.

Of course, people were upset because a.) the science hadn’t been proven and b.) they did not get international approval and there were some rumors about it benefitting a corporate interest.

So.. two things.  First, I cannot find any information about what has happened to this ship.  I don’t like that.

Second, new data was released today that algal blooms trap toxins and send them to the ocean floor where they stay for a very long time, according to The New Scientist.

Far from degrading soon after the bloom, as previously assumed, new research suggests that the neurotoxin that causes shellfish poisoning, domoic acid, sinks to the ocean floor and could poison marine mammals, birds and humans.

So, if the ship made it to the Antarctic, if the ship dumped its supply of iron to create the bloom and if the water had any toxins… well, those toxins are there for a long, long time.  Proving that the critics were correct… we just don’t have enough scientific information to try to recreate what the planet does naturally.

troubled waters

The Economist has an amazingly extensive report on the ocean; its current condition and what can be done about it.

There are 11 articles ranging from topics on climate change, fisheries, and salt levels, and audio file with a contributing author, John Grimond, and links to other resources.

It is a very comprehensive look at something that dominates a major portion of our planet. Our fate could easily rest in her hands.