00:00Blue carbon is a term used to describe carbon dioxide, or CO2, that is absorbed from the
00:07atmosphere and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.
00:12Blue carbon may hold the answer to addressing how we may be able to remove and safely store
00:17gigatons of CO2.
00:21To understand how this might be possible, it's necessary to understand how nature uses
00:26the ocean to regulate the climate.
00:29Some of the CO2 from the atmosphere is absorbed when it comes into contact with the surface
00:34of the ocean.
00:36The amount that can be absorbed increases with cooler temperatures and deeper waters.
00:41So as ocean surface temperatures increase, less CO2 can be absorbed.
00:47Phytoplankton, or microalgae, a microscopic, water-based plant life from the ocean surface
00:54use sunlight to convert CO2 and nutrients into organic matter through photosynthesis.
01:00And this organic carbon becomes the basis of the food web, which is consumed by other
01:05marine organisms.
01:06And then as marine life dies with all its shells, skeletons, and biological waste, the
01:11remains sink to the ocean floor where they can remain for millions of years.
01:17So is it possible to mimic and accelerate some of these processes as a way to remove
01:21more of the CO2?
01:26My name is Chuck Green and I'm the Associate Director for Research and Strategic Planning
01:31at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories.
01:35And I've spent a good part of the last 15 years looking at ways that we can certainly
01:40reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also how we can reduce CO2 that's already in the
01:47atmosphere.
01:48And most of the emphasis has been looking at terrestrial approaches.
01:53And it's only been in recent years that scientists have started to look at ocean-based solutions.
02:00And it's kind of surprising in some ways that we haven't looked to the ocean sooner since
02:05over 70% of the planet is made up of ocean.
02:10But on the other hand, we're terrestrial beasts.
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