Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Could Impact the Microbial Carbon Pump
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Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Could Impact the Microbial Carbon Pump
Thu, 04/09/2025 - 14:00 to 15:00
Location:
Speaker:
Wanja Feodor Böhme
Synopsis:
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) is a promising strategy for marine carbon dioxide removal, yet its ecological feedbacks are not well constrained. In this talk, I will present results from a mesocosm experiment in Bergen showing that OAE not only shifts heterotrophic microbial community composition, but also alters the stoichiometric quality and remineralization efficiency of sinking organic matter. These findings highlight that microbial processes play a critical role in determining long-term effectiveness of OAE as a climate intervention.
Biography:
Wanja is a PhD student investigating how Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement impacts microbial communities and the nitrogen cycle. He is enrolled at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and based at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, where his work bridges marine biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. His research is supervised by Prof. Tony Gutierrez and Prof. Phil Renforth at Heriot-Watt University, and Prof. David Needham at GEOMAR. Before starting his PhD in November 2023, Wanja completed his M.Sc. in Biological Oceanography at GEOMAR (2020–2023).