Training Course on Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement - Assessing the Impacts on Marine Organisms

The Training Course on Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement - Assessing the Impacts on Marine Organisms is part of the capacity building program of the IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC). The program aims to support IAEA Member States to minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification (Sustainable Development Goal 14.3) and related stressors.

The ocean is under pressure from warming, acidification and oxygen loss, adversely impacting marine ecosystems and the communities and societies who depend on them. But the ocean, covering 70% of Earth’s surface, can also be a vital part of the solution and our ally to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to well below 2º C would not only require drastic cuts in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, but also the active removal of carbon CO₂ on the order of 100–1000 Gt CO₂ over the 21st century (IPCC, 2018). Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) approach which is receiving growing interest from scientists, policy makers and industry. It entails the addition of alkaline materials to the sea with the goal to increase the ocean’s potential to absorb CO₂. There is limited scientific information to date about the impact that OAE might have on marine organisms and ecosystems. Building technical expertise to assess ecological impacts of OAE is critically needed to allow for informed policy decisions about this approach.

The aim of this course was to train scientists on how to perform laboratory experiments on the potential impacts of OAE on marine organisms. The course included both theoretical and practical exercises with the goal to design purposeful experiments, analyze complex datasets, avoid typical pitfalls, and ensure data comparability with other studies. Lectures on the broader context and implications of OAE was also provided (e.g., societal and governance aspects). The course was largely based on the 2023 Guide to Best Practices for Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Research, especially the chapters on experimental design.