Climate targets, carbon dioxide removal, and the potential role of ocean alkalinity enhancement
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Abstract
Abstract. The Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 °C requires ambitious emission reduction and the balancing of remaining emissions through carbon sinks, i.e. the deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). While ambitious climate protection scenarios until now consider primarily land-based CDR methods, there is growing concern about their potential to deliver sufficient CDR, and marine CDR options receive more and more interest. Based on idealized theoretical studies, Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) appears as a promising marine CDR method. However, the knowledge base is insufficient for a robust assessment of its practical feasibility, of its side effects, social and governance aspects as well as monitoring, reporting and verification issues. A number of research efforts aim to improve this in a timely manner. We provide an overview on the current situation of developing OAE as marine CDR method, and describe the history that has led to the creation of the OAE research Best Practices Guide.
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OAE induces dynamic shifts in the carbonate chemistry in seawater that may impact marine organism physiology, community composition, and trophic interactions during and/or after equilibration with the atmosphere.
“OAE induces dynamic shifts in the carbonate chemistry in seawater that may impact marine organism physiology, community composition, and trophic interactions during and/or after equilibration with the atmosphere (Oschlies et al., 2023; Renforth and Henderson, 2017).”
From Biogeochemical responses to ocean alkalinity enhancement in the North China Sea (2026) · cites this paper as Oschlies et al., 2023
Section 3 (lines 115–120) explains that OAE changes seawater pH and CO₂ chemistry and promotes air–sea CO₂ exchange. Section 3 (lines 155–165) discusses possible ecological impacts and mentions coral calcification, but our copy does not specify effects on community composition or trophic interactions, or distinguish effects during versus after atmospheric equilibration. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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Cites
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Sorted by citations
Biogeochemical responses to ocean alkalinity enhancement in the North China Sea
Xin, X., Liu, Y., Chang, R., Lei, R., Zhu, M., Wang, X., Wang, X. C., & Liu, J. (2026) · EGUsphere · doi:10.5194/egusphere-2026-5281
- Authors
- Oschlies, A., Bach, L. T., Rickaby, R. E. M., Satterfield, T., Webb, R., & Gattuso, J.-P.
- Affiliations
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE)
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Columbia University (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Oschlies, Andreas
- Venue
- State of the Planet
- Publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- Published
- 2023-11-27
- Volume
- 2-oae2023
- Issue
- 0
- Pages
- 1-9
- ISSN
- 2752-0706 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4389051022
- Cited by
- 71
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 7.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- State of the Planet (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften (ZB MED) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- ClimateWorks Foundation (22-0296)
- Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (n/a)
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
- Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (03F0895)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
- Keywords
- ocean alkalinity enhancement, carbon dioxide removal, Paris Agreement, climate targets, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sink, monitoring and verification, adverse effects
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