Is it true that algae in the sea will solve global warming?

Question

I heard that CO2 is absorbed by the sea and is converted to oxygen by algae. As the sea gets hotter their will be more algae and so there will be more CO2 absorbtion. Is this true?

Answer 1

Yes, Sea algae is responsible for 90% of the oxygen production here on Earth. Studies indicate that fertilizing the ocean plants could significantly reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere, but we are undecided as to what other parts of the ecosystem would be affected. I've included one link where you can get some ideas... a significant number of scientists see this as a viable alternative to drastic carbon emmissions reductions.

Answer 2

Partly true and partly not. Yes algae in the sea utilise CO2 as do other plants. Not primarily to make oxygen but to use the carbon to make cell tissue ie biomass. Some oxygen is excess to requirements of the plant and is therefore released. As for solving global warming, this is not so evident. Different algae can exist at different temperatures and sea conditions. They are remarkably adaptive and some specialised species for example can be found around undersea volcanic vents where other plant and animal species could not survive. In general algae thrive where there is a good nutrient supply (ie N, P, K) and then they can "bloom" or multiply into millions of millions of individuals and then they utilise significant amounts of CO2 out of the water and air. The carbon used to produce biomass eventually sinks to the sea bed as the organism dies off and at some time in the future may be transformed through pressure into oil or even coal. However, all this algal activity will not solve global warming. It will make a positive contribution but will not be enough to save the planet by itself.

Answer 3

The plants ,all of them absorber the CO2 that is the way GOD designed it. When u don't produce CO2 u are making it hard on the plants. Yes NASA was planing on using algae on deep space vogues. It is a beautiful arrangement . The plants take the CO2 and give us back the O2 and keeps the C to make their food.

Answer 4

Algae (and kelp, and other ocean-dwelling CO2-absorbing plants) won't be able to process enough of the excess carbon dioxide to help with global warming. We're using far too much fossil fuel and buring far too many forests for the green stuff in the oceans to help us out of the mess we're creating for ourselves.

Global warming probably won't kill off all life on Earth, but it'll make it pretty uncomfortable for humans to live here. Too bad -- we had such a beautiful planet, but we're too selfish to appreciate it and save some resources for future generations.

Answer 5

Algae do photosynthesize, (fix Carbon and produce oxygen), however their growth is limited by avalable nutrients, and they die, sink, and decay releasing the carbon again.
We could probably bioengineer a strain that photosynthesized and built a carbonate shell before
sinking which would sequester more CO2, but that would most likely bring its own problems.

Answer 6

possibly but it's not that simple, ex. as sea water gets hotter there are less dissolved gasses

Answer 7

maybe it could help

it makes Oxygen

O3 is ozone