MORE INFO National Lab scientists at DOE's Center for Research on Ocean Carbon Sequestration are studying deep injection and ocean fertilization. [Leave site]

CO2 is soluble in ocean water, and through natural processes the oceans both absorb and emit huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. In fact, the amount of carbon stored in the ocean dwarfs the carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems.

It is widely believed that the oceans will eventually absorb 80-90 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere and transfer it to the deep ocean. Although the ocean has huge potential as a carbon storage sink, the scientific understanding to enable ocean sequestration to be considered as a real option is not yet available. A small level of funding is provided to leading researchers in this area to develop the necessary scientific understanding of the feasibility of ocean sequestration. Work is focused on understanding the mechanisms of CO2 uptake in the ocean and assessing the environmental impacts of CO2 storage. Laboratory studies of the behavior of CO2 droplets and CO2/water hydrate structures in simulated ocean environments.