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IRON'S BIG IMPACT."Therefore small amounts of iron (measured by mass parts per trillion) in "desolate" HNLC zones can trigger large phytoplankton blooms. Recent marine trials suggest that one kilogram of fine iron particles may generate well over 100,000 kilograms of plankton biomass." (Now look back at the 16 supertankers at €20 Bn...)" " http://lnkd.in/dFkbqUn View in LinkedIn

PHYTOPLANKTON VIRUSES DATABASE IS THIN. "Putative complete genomes of ssDNA viruses were assembled, almost doubling the number of ssDNA viral genomes in databases. These comprised 129 genetically distinct groups, each represented by at least one complete genome that had no recognizable similarity to each other or to other virus sequences." The tip of the iceberg. Our oceans are almost as unknown to us as Mars. " " http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23842650/ View in LinkedIn

HOW MUCH IRON IS NEEDED? "Current estimates of the amount of iron required to restore all the lost plankton and sequester 3 gigatons/year of CO2 range widely, from approximately 2 hundred thousand tons/year to over 4 million tons/year. The latter scenario involves 16 supertanker loads of iron and a projected cost of approximately €20 billion ($27 billion)." (What am I missing?). " " http://lnkd.in/dFkbqUn View in LinkedIn

FEW PHYTOPLANKTON VIRUSES CULTURED. "With increased awareness of the potential regulation of phytoplankton dynamics by viruses, efforts have been made to establish virus-phytoplankton model systems in culture. Although virus-like particles have been found in most classes of eukaryotic unicellular photoautotrophs, at present, there are only approximately a dozen phytoplankton viruses in culture. Most of these infect bloom-forming species and about half infect harmful algal bloom species."" " http://aem.asm.org/content/70/6/3700.full View in LinkedIn

IRON SEEDING CALCULATIONS. "If phytoplankton converted all the nitrate and phosphate ... across the entire Antarctic circumpolar current into organic carbon, the resulting carbon dioxide deficit could be compensated by uptake from the atmosphere amounting to about 0.8 to 1.4 gigatonnes of carbon per year. This quantity is comparable in magnitude to annual anthropogenic fossil fuels combustion of approximately 6 gigatonnes... the Antarctic circumpolar current region is only one of several in which iron fertilization could be conducted."" " http://lnkd.in/dFkbqUn View in LinkedIn

IRON SEEDING: THE SCIENCE."The maximum possible result from iron fertilization, assuming the most favourable conditions and disregarding practical considerations, is 0.29W/m2 of globally averaged negative forcing, which is almost sufficient to reverse the warming effect of about 1/6 of current levels of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. It is notable, however, that the addition of silicic acid or choosing the proper location could, at least theoretically, eliminate and exceed all man-made CO2."" " http://lnkd.in/dFkbqUn View in LinkedIn

OCEANIC IRON SEEDING has been the subject of recent scientific studies to test the Martin Iron Hypothesis, namely that phytoplankton blooms will be stimulated. The wide genetic and metabolic heterogeneity of phytoplankton and their attendant viral populations are too complex to predict a dominant bloom species. " "Given the enormity of the unknowns in phytoplankton and virus interactions, and the ecological web of life that spans from this, it perhaps seems at best optimistic to believe that iron seeding will help global warming. " " http://lnkd.in/dFkbqUn View in LinkedIn

VIRUSES INFECT COPEPODS which feed on phytoplankton. This was only described in 2013. "Marine free-floating plants called phytoplankton sequester about half of the carbon dioxide that is pulled from the atmosphere and fixed in plant cells during photosynthesis. Copepods play a key role in the process by consuming most of the oceans' phytoplankton, which they defecate as pellets that sink to the ocean floor, thereby locking up atmospheric carbon for thousands of years."" " http://lnkd.in/dGEHSDx View in LinkedIn

MARINE VIRUSES: MAJOR OCEANIC PLAYERS. About 10(30) viruses exist in earth's oceans which if stretched end to end would cover 60 galaxies. Every second 10(23) viral infections occur in oceans, many introducing new genes into phytoplankton and boosting their considerable genetic diversity. " " http://lnkd.in/dJ3X-aZ View in LinkedIn

NOVEL OCEANIC VIRUSES REDEFINE VIRUSES. "Scientists have discovered a pair of viruses that defy classification. Bigger and more genetically complex than any viral genus known to science, these so-called "pandoraviruses" could reignite a longstanding debate over the classification of life itself. Pandoraviruses, in other words, are more than just huge – they're also unmistakably distinct from any known virus on Earth – including other giant viruses."" " http://lnkd.in/dHu56yC View in LinkedIn