The sceptical scientist...
'Natural iron fertilisation events go on all the time. But these large phytoplankton blooms do change the marine ecosystem. You get larger phytoplankton species, including more diatoms, which in turn changes the species that feed on the phytoplankton. You get a whole ecosystem shift.
'When this occurs naturally it isn't a problem, but huge artificial blooms could cause problems. For example, bacteria that decompose the phytoplankton cells could consume all the oxygen, leaving insufficient oxygen for other sea life to survive on. This could cause fish and other marine animals to move away.'
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Eric Achterberg, ocean expert, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton |
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