The Oceans as a Climate Hero
🌊 Event Schedule:
8:30am-9:30am – Light Breakfast & Networking
9:30am-11am – Main Program (Opening Remarks, Lightning Talks, Panel Discussion, Audience Q&A)
11am-12pm – Light Refreshments & Networking
We all have our favorite superheroes (comic book, movie, or real-life), but did you ever think about our Ocean and it’s microscopic army of heroes working tirelessly to protect us every day? The ocean is an underappreciated hero, removing about one-third of the global villain (carbon dioxide emissions), and more than 95% of its henchmen (excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases). While this alleviates some of the worst potential consequences of a warming planet, this is causing great harm to the oceans by making the ocean warmer and more acidic and altering ecosystems worldwide. We know what is needed to reverse these trends. First and foremost, to rescue our superhero, we must drastically reduce fossil fuel emissions – shutting off the spigot, so to speak – and at the same time we must remove and find a place to store some of the carbon dioxide already emitted by humans that is in the atmosphere. That’s a big job and there is no single solution. We can grow trees on land, but we can also be growing more of the ocean’s smallest plants, whose beauty is only revealed with the aid of a microscope.
This event will highlight bold, science-driven climate solutions such as boosting marine phytoplankton growth to strengthen the ocean’s carbon sink and protect our climate future. Experts from across the field will dive into ocean iron fertilization and the broader field of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) – exploring the science, safeguards, and strategies for scaling these approaches responsibly, as well as how philanthropy and investment can accelerate progress.
🌊 Event Speakers:
Dr. Julie Pullen, Climate Contingency Hub (Moderator)
Ken Buessler, Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions/WHOI
Kristin Kleisner, Environmental Defense Fund
Marc von Keitz, The Grantham Foundation
Erika Montague, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners
Eric Schwaab, Ocean Visions
This event is hosted by Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions (ExOIS). ExOIS is a not-for-profit, non-commercial consortium hosted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, dedicated to advancing responsible research into ocean iron fertilization as a method of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). Learn more: https://oceaniron.org/