OAE Field Study 2024
Follow the 2024 field programme from motivation and setup to sampling and recovery.
Coastal field programme
Independent OAE research in the field.
Find out how the 2024 field study explored the effects of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement on marine ecosystems, from field-site scouting and plot setup through sampling, recovery, and longer-term observation.
Field study notes
The 2024 field programme is indexed here in the same sequence as the source site, with local copies of the original lead images.
Motivation
Our motivation for independent research on Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
17.9.2024
We’re not on track to avoid global warming beyond 2°C with just emissions reduction. The IPCC has made it clear that, in addition to cutting emissions, we need to... Read more
Day 1
Day (1) – scouting the field site and initial testing of equipment
17.9.2024
Our main goal on day 1 (17.9.2024) was to find the best study site within the area for which we have a permit to operate within Norfolk Bay. Weather was partly cloudy... Read more
Day 2
Day (2) – Learning about how to do oae research in sediments
9.10.2024
Our main goal on day 2 (9.10.2024) was to learn how OAE minerals can be applied underwater in a way that they don’t immediately drift out of predefined plots. The video... Read more
Day 3
Day (3) – Setting up the plots for the field study
22.10.2024
Our main goal on day 3 (22.10.2024) was to set up the 12 plots on which the study will be conducted. This work mainly consisted of measuring individual plots... Read more
Days 4-7
Day 4 to Day 7 – Adding minerals to the seafloor and taking samples from the plots
11.11.2024
Our main goal on days 4-7 (1.11.2024, 46.11.2024) was to get the alkaline minerals on ~1.5 m 2 plots on the seafloor and get our first samples. We decided to set up 12... Read more
Day 8
Day (8) – 10 days after deployment
15.11.2024
Ten days after deployment, we sampled water in the 12 plots and obtained small sediment cores in the tracer plots. With a four-person dive team, we were able to sample... Read more
Days 9-10
Day (9) and (10) – 31 days after deployment
20.12.2024
A month after deployment, likely marking the final days of sampling for this experiment, we spent two intensive days at our site collecting various samples. These... Read more
Days 11-12
Day (11) and (12) – 77 days after deployment
04.02.2025
The last two days at the field site were a whirlwind of sediment coring, carbonate chemistry sampling, bacteria sampling, tracer sampling, and, of course, the grand... Read more
Selected field images
Images open in a full-screen viewing mode for closer inspection.
