Full letter at: https://www.oceancdrscience.org/

Society must advance responsible research, development, and field testing of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal techniques to determine their potential to help restore the climate and the ocean.

Current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide caused primarily by the production and use of fossil fuels are substantially higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. These current levels have warmed the planet by about 1.1 degrees Celsius on average, with much higher increases in the polar regions. The planet is now seeing devastating effects across Earth systems—perhaps most significantly in our ocean—highlighting the urgency for increased action on climate change.

The ocean has buffered humanity and the biosphere to date from the worst effects of climate disruption by absorbing more than 90 percent of the excess heat trapped on the planet by greenhouse gases and about 26 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution that otherwise would be in the air. But this has come at a great cost. The ocean is experiencing unprecedented destabilizing changes through massive warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and a host of resulting effects. These changes are further undermining the overall stability of our global climate, which is inextricably linked to ocean processes and functions.

Stopping warming requires that we reduce current and future emissions of greenhouse gases at unprecedented rates. This “decarbonization” of our society is an enormous, multi-faceted undertaking that must continue to be of the highest priority and requires significantly increased resources and attention.

At the same time that this essential work of emissions reductions continues, we must also pursue additional solutions that can safely reduce the impacts and outcomes of climate change, including “carbon dioxide removal,” or cleaning up the legacy carbon dioxide pollution trapped in the atmosphere.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made clear that large-scale carbon dioxide removal is needed this century to stay below or return to the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold — the goal set out in the Paris Agreement. Carbon dioxide removal is the only tool that can remove the legacy carbon dioxide pollution that otherwise will stay in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, continuing its debilitating effects in the ocean and on the planet.

Carbon dioxide removal refers to a variety of natural and engineered methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the upper layer of the ocean, and safely store it in geologic reservoirs, in the ocean, or in products. These techniques range from tree planting and soil carbon sequestration practices to industrial processes that filter carbon out of the air and store it underground.

Less well-known and understood are a range of options that rely on the vast potential of the ocean to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. These include nature-based approaches like coastal ecosystem restoration, to nature-inspired approaches such as ocean alkalinity enhancement and direct ocean removal.

The ocean is the largest exchangeable carbon reservoir on the planet; the ocean’s carbon content is fifty times larger than what is in the atmosphere. Its sheer size also means that ocean-based climate solutions can be scaled to significantly mitigate climate risk.

While ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches have enormous potential, there are also risks. Society does not yet have nearly enough information about the effectiveness or impacts of any specific approach and so cannot make informed decisions about their use at scale. There is an urgent need to accelerate responsible research, field testing, and monitoring to determine which may ultimately be safe, equitable, and viable. Achieving this goal requires coordination across many sectors, geographies, and cultures.

Given the urgency of climate action, we collectively call for a collaborative and intensive research portfolio for:

• accelerated engineering and environmental optimization of each potential ocean-based carbon removal pathway; and

• controlled field trials of each pathway in diverse ocean settings to evaluate the efficacy, impacts, and operational requirements in a real-world environment and provide needed information to society.

Testing and trials must be accompanied by:

• rigorous and transparent monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure environmental, social, and economic effects;

• third-party independent review of results;

• safeguards to mitigate any unintended or adverse consequences;

• inclusive governance structures that deliver transparency and engagement for all interested parties; and

• global collaboration and data sharing similar to what emerged during COVID-19.

We must work together as quickly as possible to advance essential science so that we know as soon as possible whether ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches are viable mitigation pathways to reduce climate risk for this and future generations.

The ocean supports an incredibly rich diversity of life on the planet. It also provides food, livelihoods, and cultural and spiritual values that sustain humanity. It plays a dominant role in climate and weather regulation.  For the sake of our children, their children, and all the other life forms on this beautiful blue planet, we are called to do everything in our power to arrest and reverse the climate crisis–including looking to the ocean to continue to sustain and restore our world.

Dr. Kwasi Appeaning Addo, University of Ghana, Ghana

Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, University of Ghana, Ghana

Dr. Thorben Amann, Universität Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Clark Alexander, University of Georgia, United States of America

Dr. Joan Alfaro-Lucas, University of Victoria, Canada

Dr. Dror Angel, University of Haifa, Israel 

Dr. Brian Kenneth Arbic, University of Michigan, United States of America

Dr. Javier Aristegui, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Dr. Kevin Arrigo, Stanford University, United States of America 

Dr. Eunice Konadu Asamoah, University of Ghana, Ghana

Dr. Philipp Assmy, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

Dr. Asta Audzijonyte, University of Tasmania, Australia 

Dr. Peyman Babakhani, University of Leeds, England 

Dr. Lennart Bach, University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr. Andrew Baker, University of Miami, United States of America

Dr. Wokil Bam, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. James Barry, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, United States of America

Dr. Mark A. Barry, Pro-Oceanus Systems, Canada 

Dr. Kohen Bauer, University of Victoria, Canada 

Dr. Tom Bell, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Heather Benway, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. David Bercovici, Yale University, United States of America

Dr. Jelle Bijma, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar & Marine Research, Germany 

Dr. Benjamin Osei Botwe, University of Ghana, Ghana 

Dr. Philip Boyd, University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr. Annalisa Bracco, Georgia Institute of Technology, United States of America

Dr. Hal Bradbury, University of British Columbia, Canada 

Dr. Philip Bresnahan, University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States of America

Dr. Ellen Briggs, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Damon Britton, University of Tasmania, Australia 

Dr. Deborah Bronk, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science, United States of America

Dr. Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Wil Burns, Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy at American University, United States of America

Dr. Will Burt, Planetary Technologies, Canada

Dr. Seth Bushinsky, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. B. B. Cael, National Oceanography Centre, England 

Dr. Ken Caldeira, Carnegie Institution for Science, United States of America

Dr. David Caress, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, United States of America

Dr. Craig Carlson, University of California at Santa Barbara, United States of America

Dr. Brendan R. Carter, University of Washington, United States of America 

Dr. Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant, United States of America 

Dr. Fei Chai, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Sifang Chen, Carbon180, United States of America

Dr. Steeve Comeau, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Sorbonne Université, France

Dr. Liza Comita, Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, United States of America 

Dr. Stuart Corney, University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr. Christopher Edward Cornwall, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Dr. Heidi Cullen, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, United States of America

Dr. Leticia Cotrim Da Cunha, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Dr. Tyler Cyronak, Georgia Southern University, United States of America

Dr. Minhan Dai, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Daniel Dauhajre, University of California at Los Angeles, United States of America

Dr. Kristen A. Davis, University of California at Irvine, United States of America

Dr. Alistair Dove, Georgia Aquarium, United States of America

Dr. Rob Dunbar, Stanford University, United States of America 

Dr. Matthew Eisaman, Yale University, United States of America 

Dr. Joshua Elliott, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, United States of America 

Dr. David Emerson, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, United States

Dr. Guilia Faucher, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany 

Dr. Mar Fernández-Méndez, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar & Marine Research, Germany 

Dr. Peter Fiekowsky, Climate Restoration Safety & Governance Board, United States of America 

Dr. Moacyr Cunha de Araujo Filho, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil 

Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald, Centre for Climate Repair at University of Cambridge, England 

Dr. Charles “Chip” H. Fletcher III, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Spyros Foteinis, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland 

Dr. Steven Gaines, University of California at Santa Barbara, United States of America

Dr. Antonius Gagern, Carbon To Sea, United States of America

Dr. Eric Galbraith, McGill University, Canada

Dr. Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Sorbonne Université, France

Dr. Sonja Geilert, Utrecht University, The Netherlands 

Dr. Kimberly Gilbert, Carbon To Sea, United States of America

Dr. Thomas Goreau, Global Coral Reef Alliance, United States of America

Dr. Ove Hough Guldberg, University of Queensland, Australia  

Dr. Mathilde Hagens, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands

Dr. Paul Halloran, University of Exeter, England

Dr. Douglas Hamilton, North Carolina State University, United States of America

Dr. Xiqiu Han, Second Institute of Oceanography, China

Dr. Dennis Arthur Hansell, University of Miami, United States of America

Dr. James Hansen, Columbia University, United States of America

Dr. T. Alan Hatton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America

Dr. Jens Hartmann, Universität Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Michael Harte, Oregon State University, United States of America

Dr. Zeke Hausfather, Stripe, United States of America

Dr. Harry Hilser, University of Exeter, England

Dr. David Ho, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Michael F. Hochella, Jr., Virginia Tech, United States of America

Dr. Linn Hoffmann, University of Otago, United States of America

Dr. Gi Hoon Hong, East China Normal University, China 

Dr. François Houllier, French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, France 

Dr. Julie Huber, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Christopher W Hunt, University of New Hampshire, United States of America

Dr. Catriona L. Hurd, University of Tasmania, Australia 

Dr. Aileen Tan Shai Hwai, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Dr. Robert Izett, Planetary Technologies, Canada

Dr. Li-Qing Jiang, University of Maryland, United States of America

Dr. Zong-Pei Jiang, Zhejiang University, China

Dr. Nianzhi Jiao, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Seth John, University of Southern California, United States of America

Dr. Kenneth S. Johnson, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Dr. Amanda Kahn, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, United States of America

Dr. James Kairo, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya

Dr. Alicia Karspeck, [C]Worthy, United States of America

Dr. Joachim Katchinoff, Yale University, United States of America

Dr. Kelly Kearney, University of Washington, United States of America

Dr. David P. Keller, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany 

Dr. Rainer Kiko, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

Dr. Heather Kim, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Sir David King, Climate Crisis Advisory Group, England 

Dr. Christine Klass, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar & Marine Research, Germany 

Dr. John W. Koster, University of California at Santa Cruz, United States of America

Dr. David Koweek, Ocean Visions, United States of America

Dr. Kristy Kroeker, University of California at Santa Cruz, United States of America 

Dr. Karin Kvale, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited, New Zealand

Dr. Angela Manekuor Lamptey, University of Ghana, Ghana

Dr. Christopher Langdon, University of Miami, United States of America

Dr. John Largier, University of California at Davis, United States of America

Dr. Louis Legendre, Sorbonne University, France

Dr. Nadine Lehmann, University of Tasmania, Australia

Dr. Margaret Leinen, Scripps Oceanography, United States of America

Dr. Li Li, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Jianghui Li, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Jihua Liu, Shandong University, China

Dr. Matt Long, [C]Worthy, United States of America

Dr. Celeste López-Abbate, Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Argentina

Dr. Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Brown University, United States of America

Dr. Susan Lozier, Georgia Tech, United States of America

Dr. Parker MacCready, University of Washington, United States of America

Dr. Anoop Sharad Mahajan, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, India

Dr. Edem Mahu, University of Ghana, Ghana 

Dr. Thomas Kiran Marella, University of Tsukuba, Japan

Dr. Arun Majumdar, Stanford University, United States of America 

Dr. Tanya Marshall, University of Cape Town, South Africa 

Dr. Ali Mashayek, University of Cambridge, England 

Dr. Dennis McGillicuddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Galen McKinley, Columbia University, United States of America

Dr. James C. McWilliams, University of California at Los Angeles, United States of America

Dr. Melissa Melendez, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Marcelo Mena, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile 

Dr. Peter de Menocal, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Fiorenza Micheli, Stanford University, United States of America

Dr. Jack Middelburg, Utrecht University, The Netherlands 

Dr. Klas Ove Möller, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany

Dr. Stephen Monismith, Stanford University, United States of America

Dr. Kate Moran, Ocean Networks Canada, Canada

Dr. Ramaiah Nagappa, formerly National Institute of Oceanography, India

Dr. Sara Nawaz, American University, United States of America

Dr. David Nicholson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Kerry J. Nickols, Ocean Visions, United States of America

Dr. Jun Nishioka, Hokkaido University, Japan

Dr. Jochen Nuester, California State University at Chico, United States of America

Dr. Chioma Nwakanma, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Nigeria

Dr. Andreas Oschlies, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

Dr. Jaime B. Palter, University of Rhode Island, United States of America

Dr. Juan Patino-Martinez, Maio Biodiversity Foundation, Cape Verde 

Dr. Christopher Pearce, National Oceanography Centre, England 

Dr. Gretta Pecl, University of Tasmania, Australia 

Dr. Miriam Philippi, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar & Marine Research, Germany 

Dr. Darren Pilcher, University of Washington, United States of America

Dr. Alex Poulton, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

Dr. Di Qi, Jimei University, China

Dr. Steve Rackley, Planetary Technologies, Canada

Dr. Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Greg H. Rau, University of California at Santa Cruz, United States of America 

Dr. Morgan Raven, University of California at Santa Barbara, United States of America

Dr. Pete Raymond, Yale University, United States of America

Dr. Gregor Rehder, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemmünde, Germany

Dr. Phil Renforth, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland 

Dr. Ulf Riebesell, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

Dr. Justin Baker Ries, Northeastern University, United States of America 

Dr. Mallory Ringham, Stony Brook University, United States of America 

Dr. Elliott G. Roberts, University of Delaware, United States of America

Dr. Carol Robinson, University of East Anglia, England 

Dr. Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez, University of California at Santa Barbara, United States of America

Dr. Regina R. Rodrigues, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Dr. Aurora M Ricart, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, Spain 

Dr. Paul Rouse, Imperial College London, England 

Dr. Christopher Sabine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Gaurav N. Sant, University of California at Los Angeles, United States of America

Dr. Raymond W. Schmitt, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Mukul Sharma, Dartmouth College, United States of America

Dr. David Siegel, University of California at Santa Barbara, United States of America 

Dr. Arvind Singh, Physical Research Laboratory, India

Dr. Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific, Inc., United States of America 

Dr. Ingrid Smet, Fieldcode, University States of America 

Dr. Chris Scholin, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, United States of America

Dr. Kai Schulz, Southern Cross University, United States of America

Dr. Immaculate Sware Semesi, Tanzania Marine Parks and Reserves Unit, Tanzania 

Dr. Dalin Shi, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Yunne Shin, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France

Dr. Yuan Shen, Xiamen University, China 

Dr. Nyssa J Silbiger, California State University at Northridge, United States of America 

Dr. Victor Smetacek, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar & Marine Research, Germany 

Dr. Sarah R. Smith, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, United States of America

Dr. Jennifer Smith, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, United States of America

Dr. Salman Masoudi Soltani, Brunel University, England

Dr. Lars Stemman, Sorbonne University, France

Dr. Arun Kumar Sridharan, Nualgi Nanobiotech, India

Dr. Jeffrey Stoike, Blue Action Lab, United States of America

Dr. Elizabeth Strain, University of Tasmania, Australia 

Dr. Tanja Stratmann, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

Dr. Malte Stuecker, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States of America

Dr. Adam V. Subhas, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Ichiko Sugiyama, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Curtis Suttle, University of British Columbia, Canada

Dr. John Taylor, University of Cambridge, England 

Dr. Pavel Tishchenko, Pacific Institute of Oceanology, Russia

Dr. Kendra Turk-Kubo, University of California at Santa Cruz, United States of America 

Dr. Benjamin S. Twining, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, United States of America

Dr. Koenraad Vanhoutte, Navicula Group, Belgium

Dr. Devi Veytia, Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity, France

Dr. Maria-Elena Vorrath, Universität Hamburg, Germany 

Dr. Anya Waite, Dalhousie University, Canada

Dr. Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Qing Wang, Jinan University, China

Dr. Wei-Lei Wang, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Yuntao Wang, Second Institute of Oceanography, China

Dr. Michael Wara, Stanford University, United States of America 

Dr. Brian Ward, University of Galway, Ireland 

Dr. Jay Werber, University of Toronto, Canada

Dr. Susan E Wijffels, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States of America

Dr. Yingxu Wu, Jimei University, China

Dr. Yufeng Yang, Jinan University, China

Dr. Andrew Yool, National Oceanography Centre, England

Dr. Joo-Eun Yoon, Centre for Climate Repair at University of Cambridge, England 

Dr. Wei Xie, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Dr. Peng Xiu, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Yuanyuan Xu, Planetary Technologies, Canada

Dr. Jihong Zhang, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, China

Dr. Yongyu Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Dr. Kuanbo Zhou, Xiamen University, China

Dr. Linbin Zhou, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Dr. Martin Zimmer, Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung, Germany