Project Grant 2308400

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences awarded a $158,324 Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to the University of Hawaii (UH) to characterize the effects of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) on coral reef ecosystems and atmospheric carbon dioxide. The research project aims to: 1) quantify the dissolution rate of olivine minerals used in OAE and their impact on reef communities and carbon dioxide levels; 2) develop biogeochemical models to predict the efficacy of OAE in open-ocean systems; and 3) establish measurement, reporting, and verification methodologies for OAE. The project will utilize chemostat experiments, field surveys, and biogeochemical modeling to provide fundamental knowledge to guide the responsible scaling of OAE technologies. All data and models from the project will be made publicly available through a GitHub repository to support the development of an empirical framework for OAE.