Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is a set of techniques that have been proposed as methods to draw down climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution from the atmosphere by accelerating natural carbon-removing ocean processes such as phytoplankton production, seaweed cultivation, and the formation of carbonate and bicarbonate molecules in seawater. These techniques have the potential to affect ocean ecosystems, fishery resources, and the fishing communities who depend on them, but little is known at present about these impacts or what role mCDR techniques may ultimately play in efforts to combat climate change.

Fishermen are working through the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign in partnership with the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and several supporting partners to produce guidance documents outlining the need for mCDR research to be conducted in ways that respect and uphold the integrity of marine ecosystems and ocean-dependent communities.

In this webinar, we will present an overview of mCDR for commercial fishermen and their communities; review results from a set of fisherman roundtables that defined key principles of "fishery sensitive" mCDR; and provide a preview of next steps and ways that fishermen can stay involved.

Speakers:

• The scientific basics of mCDR: Kalina Grabb (Contractor in support of NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center)

• The economic and public policy landscape: Brad Warren (Global Ocean Health)

• Preliminary lessons learned from fishing industry roundtables (Sarah Schumann, Fiona Hogan, Darcy Dugan, Alex Harper, Austin Pugh)

• Fishing industry panel discussion (participants TBD)

Click here to learn more about how the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign is supporting fishermen’s literacy and engagement in the emerging field of mCDR.