Environmental impacts of ocean disposal of CO2

The sequestration of CO₂ in the deep ocean has been proposed as a way to mitigate potential climate change. In order to better understand the environmental impacts associated with such a strategy, a methodology has been developed to quantify mortality suffered by marine zooplankton passing through a CO₂-enriched sea water plume. Predicted impact depends on the mode of injection, with scenarios which disperse the CO₂ showing the least impact. Benthic impacts also depend on the injection mode, with localized effects expected for any scenario in which the plume contacts the bottom. Based on available data, our modeling suggests that mortality associated with exposure to low pH can be avoided by properly dispersing the CO₂ and keeping the plume off of the seabed