SUPPORT for OPR from Lecturer KOUADIO GEORGES
I am publishing the following because it describes a real solution, Ocean Pasture Restoration (OPR), to the triple crisis created by the CO2 humans have already emitted: 1) the temperature will soon be too hot for people to work outside; 2) the temperature will soon be too hot for farms to properly produce food; 3) the oceans will soon become too acidic for fish to exist. That CO2 will not go away by itself for many centuries, so please read this wonderful news of a great way to manage these existential problems.
I am writing to offer my enthusiastic endorsement for the immediate deployment of large-scale national and international efforts to restore our oceans. As Lecturer on Environmental Sciences at High Training School in Abidjan and also Research associated at the Laboratory of Structure of Matter, Environmental and Solar Energy (LASMES) at University Felix Houphouet Boigny and member of Ocean and Atmosphere Team, I have
dedicated my career to advancing scientific understanding of ocean ecosystems and their critical role in supporting life on Earth.
Few global initiatives possess the transformative potential of restoring large ocean plankton pastures in terms of socioeconomic, ecological, and climatological impact within an immediate timeframe.
This bold Action Plan to Bring Back The Fish will immediately create an Ocean Restoration Fleet that this year will begin to deploy the ships to perform nature-based ocean restoration work. The work involves replenishment by the project ships of 100 tons of natural iron rich mineral dust to each regional ocean pasture to restore ocean plants, phytoplankton.
Over the course of 4 years, we will increase the effort to replenish, restore, and sustain scores of these ocean plankton/fish pastures and in each region bring fish catches back to historic levels of abundance. This work will annually repurpose billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 into restored
and replenished ocean life. This captured ocean/blue carbon all begins as fish food, nourishing and restoring all of ocean life.
The health of our oceans has been in rapid decline due to anthropogenic influences such as high levels of atmospheric COz, overfishing, pollution, and climate change. The loss of phytoplankton-the foundation of the oceanic food web-has been particularly devastating.
These microscopic organisms play a crucial role in regulating the planet’s climate bysequestering vast amounts of carbon dioxide and producing a significant portion of the oxygen we breathe. In addition, they provide the primary source of nutrition for countless marine species, forming the
base of a food chain that supports fisheries providing vital and nutritious fish to billions of people worldwide.
Restoring ocean plankton pastures via the replenishment of vital mineral dust in large ocean eddies is a scientifically sound and urgently needed strategy to reverse this decline. By replenishing these vital ecosystems, we can:
Enhance Marine Productivity to Bring Back the Fish: Healthy plankton pastures are the cornerstone of robust marine ecosystems. Their restoration will lead to a resurgence of fish populations and other marine life, revitalizing fisheries that are essential for global food security and economic stability.
Combat Climate Change: Plankton pastures are natural carbon sinks. By promoting their growth, we can significantly slow and reverse the process of ocean acidification, increase the ocean’s capacity to restore global cloudiness/albedo, and annually sequester billions of tons of carbon
dioxide, helping to cool the planet and mitigate the effects of climate change.
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Preserve Biodiversity: Ocean restoration efforts will safeguard countless species that rely on plankton for survival, preventing further loss of biodiversity and ensuring the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Support Coastal Communities: Healthy oceans provide livelihoods for millions of people in coastal regions, many of whom depend directly on fishing and marine resources. Revitalizing these ecosystems will bring both environmental and economic benefits.
The scientific community has reached a consensus on the importance of proactive measures to restore the oceans, and the technology and methods to achieve this are now within our grasp. Iron mineral replenishment as a nature-based ocean restoration methodology and technology, for example, has demonstrated unequivocal results in stimulating plankton growth in controlled studies over more than 30 years. Within this history of sound scientific study, it has been shown that no deleterious effects or unintended ecological consequences result.
It is imperative that we act swiftly. The costs of inaction-both environmental and economic — far outweigh the investment required to implement large-scale restoration programs. Unlike most proposals that address climate change, which are projected to cost trillions of dollars, ocean restoration can be accomplished at a very small fraction of this cost.
Furthermore, international collaboration will be key to the success of these efforts, as ocean ecosystems transcend national borders.
As a scientist and leader, I wholeheartedly support and advocate for this initiative. I am confident that, with coordinated global action, we can restore our oceans to their historic levels of health and productivity, ensuring a thriving future for marine life and humanity alike. Let us seize this opportunity to lead a bold and visionary effort to heal our planet.
Sincerely,
KOUADIO Georges, PhD.
Professor of Environmental Sciences
Contacts: adrohpango2@gmail. com; +225 0707764729/ BP 58 CIDEX 03
Technical Advisor of the Ministry of Environment, Côte d’Ivoire
Ecole Normale Supérieure Abidjan
Département Sciences et Technologies
08 BP 10 Abidjan 08
UFR — SSMT
Laboratoire des Sciences de la Matière
de l’Environnement et de l’Energie
Solaire ( LASMES)
22 BP 582 ABIDJAN 22
REPUBLIQUE DE CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Union — Discipline — Travail
