Phytoplankton part of the solution to global warming

Adding iron to the sea could slow down climate change, according to the first results from an international experiment. The iron encourages plankton growth and this locks up carbon dioxide. A team of 26 scientists, including nine Britons, has spent February seeding a 55 sq km patch of the southern ocean with iron sulphate contained in slurry. This experiment was planned to find out more whether iron can boost the growth of marine life. The team also wanted to see if the expected growth in plankton meant a reduction in levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas produced by human activities. And the plankton, in turn, had absorbed much more CO2.

Source: news.bbc.co.ukAdded: 1 March 2007