Report
Solutions Brief: Ocean Carbon
Oceans regulate the global climate and keep heat-trapping gases out of the atmosphere. But human-caused warming and continued carbon pollution put tremendous pressure on marine ecosystems and natural processes that move carbon from the air to the depths of the ocean for long-term storage.
Humans can support and protect marine ecosystems that pull heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ocean. Emerging technologies could enhance or modify the ocean’s capacity for carbon capture.
Restoring and protecting our oceans is not only a climate solution—it can also build climate resilience, support coastal economies, and preserve biodiversity. But these solutions are not enough to slow global warming on their own; they must be paired with deep and rapid cuts to carbon pollution.
This research brief explains the ocean carbon cycle and summarizes some of the ways humans can bolster the ocean’s capacity as a climate solution.