Ocean Nourishment™ is presented in a global context: as a part solution to increasing climatic instability and to an emerging crisis in global food security. These are scenarios the world must try to avoid and a broad range of technologies and mitigation solutions must be developed and deployed appropriately.

Climate change is arguably the most important environmental issue of the day with levels of CO₂ and methane (CH₄) in the atmosphere now higher than they were at any time in the past 420,000 years.

If the world continues on its current course, a rise in average global temperatures of 2°C will be realised and atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ will pass beyond 450ppm (the point at which dangerous climate change is predicted), perhaps as early as 2040.

The oceans are the largest sink on the planet and currently store in excess of 40,000GT of carbon. Biological enhancement of this sink through ocean nourishment will not add significantly to the overall storage of carbon. Removing the excess CO₂ from the atmosphere will assist in climate stabilisation and the mitigation of rising ocean acidity.

Source: http://www.whrc.org/carbon/index.htm

The oceans represent 70% of the earth's surface but currently provide only 6% of human protein every year. With the human population predicted to increase to 9.1 billion people by 2050, food security is a major concern, with the FAO estimating that by 2010 there could be 680 million hungry people, more than 250 million of whom would be in sub-Saharan Africa.

Jones and Young (1997) have estimated that Ocean Nourishment™ could provide a significant increase in the animal protein needed to feed a growing population, without resorting to intensive agriculture. Ocean Nourishment™ results in increased primary production, supporting additional fish production and sustainable fish yields in the vicinity of nourishment release points. For every tonne of nitrogen infused into the ocean, 1.1 tonnes of fish (wet weight) may be produced. Further to this, if nutrients are introduced near the edge of the continental shelf, the increased small pelagic fish stock, such as sardines and mackerel, is expected to flourish across an estimated 100 km range. This would be followed by higher trophic level species.

The environmental effects of nourishing the oceans are predicted from modelling applications and observations of natural nutrient upwellings. In addition, for early experimentation phytoplankton growth will be tracked via a combination of marine sampling and satellite imagery. Indirect changes in ocean chemistry and biology will be measured through direct testing, sampling and laboratory analysis. In this way the area of influence can be defined and the potential environmental impacts assessed and mitigated.

The longer-term effects of continuous nourishment require assessment and evaluation through specifically designed ocean trials, monitoring, ecosystem modelling and simulation studies. Through this process strict environmental controls and procedures will be developed to govern both research activities and future operations.

It is ONC's policy to achieve a high standard of environmental care in conducting our business as prescribed in our Environmental Policy, which applies to all company operations. We are committed to continuous improvement in performance by taking account of evolving practice, scientific knowledge, and community expectations.

Our R&D program is supervised and peer reviewed by experienced scientists and engineers including those with background in environmental management and scientific and ocean research. This will ensure rigour in our environmental management processes and provide third party endorsement of our methods and approach to marine research.