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Role of phosphate burial in the recovery of dead zones in the sea.

Enhanced burial of phosphate in the form of minerals in the seabed can help restore anoxic or 'dead' zones in the sea. Fish, worms and other marine organisms can then return to areas that are currently populated only by bacteria. This would be a significant achievement, because today the levels of oxygen in many coastal waters are decreasing at a rapid rate.

Nutrient-rich environment for algae

The causes for the development of these dead zones are well-known: nutrients from wastewater and fertilisers leak into the sea and fuel algal blooms. When the algae die, sink to the bottom and start to decompose,, oxygen is consumed. During the process of decomposition, nutrients are released,,which can be reused by algae for their growth. This creates a nutrient-rich environment, that sustains itself in the form of a vicious circle. The only way to break this circle is to permanently remove the nutrients from the water.

The goal: a healthy sea

Caroline Slomp and various colleagues are studying how the nutrient phosphate can be bound in the form of minerals in the seabed. This natural mechanism for phosphorus burial can break the vicious circle in dead zones. This knowledge can be used to develop plans for the restoration of dead zones in the sea.

Caroline Slomp, Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry