New project "RETAKE" is starting in August

(16.8.2021) Atmospheric CO2 removal through marine alkalinity enhancement - what would be the impact on fisheries and food security?

The increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is a fundamental challenge related to climate change. Due to limited natural uptake of CO2 emissions, so-called geoengineering methods are gaining interest. This includes the alkalinity enhancement in the ocean, which should favor the gas exchange of CO2 from the atmosphere into the ocean and thus reduce the atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Scientists of the new joint project "RETAKE" are investigating the so far insufficiently researched potentials, feasibility and side effects of different possibilities of atmospheric CO2 removal by marine alkalinity enhancement. In particular, the Center for Ocean and Society is investigating the impact of ocean alkalinization on fisheries and food security in the North and Baltic Sea. Taking this into account, new socio-ecological adaptation pathways for fisheries will be developed and global consequences regarding regional food security and fisheries income will be considered in the light of international trade. This task will be addressed over the next three years by the following four CeOS-members: Marie-Catherine Riekhof, Rüdiger Voss, Hans Sloterdijk and Caroline Grünhagen (see picture). The goal of RETAKE is to provide scientifically sound information on the practicability of marine alkalinization, which will contribute to the knowledge of decision makers.