Save ferrous at ocean iron talk

A Sahara Desert dust cloud as seen from space • Image courtesy of NASA Earth data

A new season of Hatfield Science on Tap lectures begins on Tuesday, Sept. 13, with “Ocean Iron Fertilization — Knowns and Unknowns.” The guest speaker is Dr. Rene Boiteau, a chemical oceanographer from OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.

Bioteau will discuss how, several decades ago, oceanographers first recognized that iron added to surface waters stimulates algal growth in more than a third of the world's oceans. This realization sparked international efforts to understand iron's role in regulating ocean ecosystems and global carbon cycling.

Scientists are studying how feedback between climate, iron-rich dust deposition and ocean productivity work and if humans can leverage iron fertilization to offset greenhouse gas emissions or boost fisheries.

The talk starts at 6 pm in the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building auditorium at Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive in Newport.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the lobby at 5 pm. The talk is a hybrid event and is also available online. For more information, including the link for the Zoom talk, go to hmsc.oregonstate.edu/main/science-tap.