The Application of the Seaweeds in Neutralizing the “Ocean Acidification” as a Long-Term Multifaceted Challenge

Vincent van  Ginneken

doi:10.4236/gep.2019.712009

Vincent van Ginneken

Abstract:

The global effects of ocean acidification (OA) on coral reefs are of growing concern. Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels, not only has an effect on “global warming”, but also on OA which is called the “other CO₂ problem”. OA combined with high ocean temperatures has resulted in a massive bleaching of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and throughout Southeast Asia over the past decade, which is ultimately lethal. Here we discuss the option if innovative seaweed bio-technology—the Ulva lactuca bioreactor option, with its H⁺ ion-absorbing capacity and its huge green biomass production of around 50 MT/ha/year—which can stabilize our “World Ocean” and our global coral reefs. From our calculations, we came to the conclusion that an area covered with “Ulva lactuca bioreactors” with a production capacity of 250 × 10¹⁶ ha of seaweed per year is needed to remove all H⁺ ions that cause OA in our “World Ocean” since the beginning of the “Industrial Revolution” ≈ 250 years ago. This is a daunting task and therefore we have opted for a multi-faceted approach including variability in seaweed species, avoidance of eutrophication & heavy-metal accumulation, prevention of global warming by more green-biomass production and a better estimation of the huge Kelp seaweed populations in temperate zones in order to protect our coral reefs for the short term.

Keywords: Ocean Acidification, Coral Reefs, Bleaching, Seaweed, Ulva lactuca, Ulva-Bioreactor, World Ocean, Seaweed-Based Economy

Cite this paper: Ginneken, V. (2019) The Application of the Seaweeds in Neutralizing the “Ocean Acidification” as a Long-Term Multifaceted Challenge. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 7, 126-138. doi: 10.4236/gep.2019.712009.

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