Sea creatures' global warming fix (BBC) {could salps & pumps sequester carbon?}

By Molly Bentley
San Francisco

A simple sea creature could help to address the problem of global warming, a scientist claims.

Tiny tube-like salps mop up greenhouse gases by feasting on carbon-dioxide soaked algae from the oceans.

The US researcher told an American Geophysical Union meeting of his plans to adjust nutrient levels in the ocean to boost the sea animal's populations.
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The solid carbon pellet that emerges from the salp sinks and dissolves deep enough in the ocean to be effectively taken out of the carbon cycle.



Next summer, in an experiment with 25 pumps off the coast of Bermuda, Mr Kithil will see whether he can actually increase algal blooms and lure salps to feed.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6217840.stm

"Solid carbon pellet"???? Is that right? Or is that only a "carbon-rich" pellet?

This is an intriguing article, regardless of whether you think the specific idea has merit. BTW, this is NOT the first time salps have been mentioned on DU in connection with the carbon cycle.

algal blooms already exist there, courtesy of American agriculture: http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html

slow moveing water.

In the Pacific Northwest most of the rivers are damned er.. ..dammed slowing the velocity and volume of winter runoff and limiting the sediments that reach the ocean outflow. Lack of nutrients is being blamed for ecosystem failure off the California coast and collapse of fisheries. If the nutrients can't get to the ocean they cannot feed phytoplankton, salps, or fisheries.

Would anybody know anything about phytoplankton growth outside the outflow of dammed vs. undammed rivers?