Fossil Fuels to Kelp Detritus - Redirecting Our Focus for a Healthier Planet
Image of a kelp forest from below: Learn more about kelp
forest ecology here: Monterey Bay Aquarium Kelp Forests
Fossil Fuels to Kelp Detritus - Redirecting Our Focus for a Healthier Planet
It has come to the attention of politicians, scientists, businessmen and engineers worldwide that carbon concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere is alarmingly high. Will carbon sequestration techniques become more valuable than fossil fuel mining practices? If mother nature has any say this will hopefully be the case. Kelp forests are currently one of the most efficient natural carbon sinks. Approximately 80% of kelp enters the ecosystem as detritus, which eventually becomes stranded on the coast or sinks to the seafloor where it is consumed and decomposed. This movement of detritus is vital for storing carbon for long amounts of time, giving humans a grace period to create solutions to our high carbon emissions before it is too late.
Kelp forests cover 25% of the world’s coastlines, or 360 million acres around the world. For perspective, this is five times larger than the area of tropical coral reefs. Kelp is extremely productive, growing up to two feet per day and flourishing in harsh ocean conditions. It is estimated to store around 170 million metric tons of carbon per year, the same amount of CO2 that is released from 160 coal fired power plants. Maintaining the range and health of the kelp ecosystem should be a primary concern when considering how to take care of our planet.
A group of marine ecologists collected data from two major species of kelp at 35 sites across 12 geographic regions across the northern hemisphere, covering waters of the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the Subarctic Norwegian Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. These parameters allowed the scientists to assess decomposition across a 14 degree Celsius average temperature span. Initially, those involved with the research presumed that the primary factors driving the kelp decomposition rates would be water temperature, light exposure and water movement. Researchers quickly concluded that the water temperature had a disproportionately large effect on the decomposition process.
Researchers related kelp biomass weight change to various environmental factors on a linear model, finding that the correlation between kelp decomposition rate and water temperature was significant. The researchers used their results to further infer the consequences of rapid kelp detritus decomposition. They stated that a sea temperature increase of 0.4 degrees Celsius would lead to 1.4% more detrital kelp being decomposed before reaching deep ocean sinks meaning a 9% decrease in the kelp carbon sequestration potential. Further, a 1.4 degree Celsius increase becomes 4.1 % less kelp sink and a 26% decrease in carbon sequestration and a 2.7 degree Celsius increase becomes 6.7% less kelp sink and a 43% decrease in carbon sequestration potential.
These numbers are very upsetting and nerve racking. Managing sea temperature rise is an urgent project. Additionally, it is important to note that kelp cannot do any form of carbon sequestration if it does not even exist. Kelp deforestation is caused by climate change, pollution and overfishing. As advocates for the well-being of nature and the future of humankind, kelp should be at the forefront of conservation initiatives.
https://discovery-ebsco-com.proxy.library.cornell.edu/c/u2yil2/viewer/pdf/6ty3w6ynw5
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/07/saving-californias-kelp-forests-cte-spc/
I never knew that kelp had such a vital role in slowing down climate change, and you do such a great job explaining it and its effects. From introducing the topic climate change and the general purpose of kelp, to going into depth on the carbon sequestration and kelp decomposition, this article does well to describe a topic and its importance. What ties this all together, however, is how you write about the greater implications of kelp forests and how important it is that they are conserved as humans reverse the climate conditions we have brought upon ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea kelp could grow so rapidly! After reading the article, it is clear that the maintenance of kelp forests is crucial to the health of our planet. I'm still confused about what happens when detritus is composed too quickly. Why must the detritus reach the deep ocean in order to effectively store carbon? I am curious about what would happen if we scattered huge boulders across the ocean floor. I know this undertaking is probably unrealistic, but it seems to take after this concept of sequestering carbon in dead organic matter. I also wonder: can kelp survive in other aquatic ecosystems? Maybe if we can find a way to plant and grow kelp in aquatic systems beyond just oceans/coastlines we can enhance carbon sequestration.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought that kelp was so important to maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, or that it played a vital role to slowing down climate change. I could just image how much damage would occur to marine ecosystems due to ocean acidification, rising temperatures, and dwindling kelp populations. I completely agree, kelp should be at the forefront of conservation efforts!
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