Tuesday June 3, 2025
Mongabay —
Artificial upwelling is a geoengineering climate solution with a long history. The concept: mimic natural ocean upwelling by pumping cold, nutrient-rich seawater up from ocean depths via pipes to the surface.
There it can cause a growth surge in CO2-absorbing plankton, nourishing aquaculture and tackling climate change. Closer to shore, the technique could even protect coral reefs from marine heat waves.
But as simple as this idea sounds in theory, it has faced complex technological challenges, high costs and failed experiments, though it continues to garner interest. Whether marine upwelling will ever break through as a solution for fisheries or the climate is unclear.
Upwelling isn’t a new idea. First proposed in the 1970s as a method to feed fish farms and grow seaweed, it has seen waves of testing come and go.