Hi All, Bhaskar has brought the use of diatoms up and I find the thought path interesting. I would like to start this thread off in an effort to keep the issue organized in one thread for easy reference and focused discussion on his suggestion/concept.
The main benefits of diatoms are O2 production and CO2 sequestration. How can those benefits be practically exploited on a significant enough scale to impact Global Warming? What would be the environmental impact of large-scale use be? What environments can this biotic enhancement be practically carried out within? What type of diatoms can/should be used and in which environment? These were my first questions in trying to understand Bhaskar's ongoing effort to bring the use of diatoms up. If a focused attention can be produced through this dedicated thread, the issue may find the fullest evaluation this group can offer. Here is a link to the Google results on scholarly papers concerning diatom and CO2 transport to the ocean floor. http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Efficiency+of+the+CO2-concentrating+mechanism+of+diatoms&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart This is a repeat from my earlier post on the "Lecture on Methane" thread. I think it might help the effort if all relative links are made available here. Here is the Google search results on diatoms and O2 production. http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=diatom+and+oxygen&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart Here is the Google search results on diatom nutrient uptake http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=diatom+nutrient+uptake+rate&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart Here are the marine species lists that I am initially finding; http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=156607 http://university.uog.edu/botany/474/mar-fw_diatoms.html http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=4244072 http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag//artdec10/cuba-diatom.pdf http://www.jsrd.org/Vol%2010/Vol%2010%20Art9.pdf There are many more. I proposed the use of gyres of large-scale diatom farms to provide CO2 ocean sequestration, large area ocean surface cooling and possible pollution mitigation. However, I may not be the first to propose it and I would be interested in finding any previously published work. I try avoiding reinventing wheels when I can. That concept will initially take a survey of diatoms which have two basic attributes. First is their natural existence in the coastal areas of the ocean gyre that they will be "farmed" in. Second is their ability to form mats. There may be a combination of species which would act in a mutually supporting way to create "prescribed" mats. The "hardware" side of the concept will need to be focus upon biomemecry and utilization of available resources. The gyres have one resource which can be used....plastic! I hope this thread starts a way to keep the many issues, that diatom use raises, in an easily referenced format. Thanks again for your patience. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineering@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
