Will Pacific Ocean be filled with iron by 2026? Here's what scientists are planning

Scientists have come up with a new and innovative plan to tackle climate change, which is filling the giant Pacific Ocean with iron.

This technique is known as ocean iron fertilisation (OIF) and in this process powdered form of iron is filled on the surface of the sea to stimulate the growth ofa marine plant'phytoplankton'. This marine plant takes in carbon dioxide and traps it in the ocean.

According to computer models, if two million tonnes of iron is released into the sea every year, the process will remove around 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the year 2100.

As per the plan of the researchers, iron will be released across 3,800 square miles northeast Pacific by 2026.

Currently, scientists at the non-profit Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions (ExOIS) have been looking into the idea of spreading iron sulfate in areas where nutrients are scarce.

The scarcity is high in the northeast Pacific Ocean which is spread from the western coast of North and South America to the eastern coast ofAsiaand upward to the Arctic.

According to scientists, the distribution of iron in these areas will increase the growth of phytoplankton and decrease carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for the years ahead.

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The researchers have suggested that distributing iron sulfate in the ocean will help in limiting global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filling of iron may create 'dead zones' in the sea: Experts

Experts have warned that iron can lead to the depletion of nutrients required for marine life and kill some of the food webs of the ocean.

Scientists are now finding a way to turn iron into powder form so that it can be dissolved in water easily and then get dispersed in targeted areas of the ocean.

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Even though the process has achieved some success in earlier experiments, the researchers have expressed their concern regarding how the spread of iron can negatively impact parts of the ecosystem of the ocean.

"Most likely [iron fertilisation] will affect something that we don't really understand yet," said deep-sea expert Lisa Levin, while speaking toScientific American.

Scientists have been concerned that the spread of iron can create "dead zones" which permit algal blooms to grow that inhale all the oxygen in the water and kill other living things.

(With inputs from agencies)