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Published online 14 January 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.26

News

Ocean fertilization experiment suspended

German science ministry demands environmental assessment before nutrient dumping can begin.

Quirin Schiermeier

The German science ministry has suspended a planned Indo–German ocean fertilization experiment in the Southern Ocean, and asked the German research institute behind it to commission an independent assessment of the study's environmental safety.

A 48-strong international team on board the Polarstern, an icebreaker operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), will reach its destination in the Scotia Sea by the end of this week.

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  • The following might be of interest on the use of highly reflective microcrystals ("micromirrors") for increasing terrestrial albedo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4B_dnIMiaA

    • 14 Jan, 2009
    • Posted by: jsn thomas

  • Iron is found near so many rivers here that eventually lead out to the ocean,I wonder if placing the iron near the mouth of the river so it finds its way to a reef naturally might not shock the environment as bad,plus the iron should be put back near the place it was mined out of when people are done with it. so it might be reclaimed by future civilizations for important uses that may surface.

    • 14 Jan, 2009
    • Posted by: dsusan maytubby