Abstract

Ocean fisheries are declining worldwide due to overexploitation. Productivity could be enhanced and the problem alleviated by pumping nutrient-rich deep ocean water (DOW) to the surface to feed phytoplankton, the bottom end of a marine food chain, mimicking natural upwelling which sustains the most productive ocean fishing grounds in the world. Various pump types and power sources have been proposed for this purpose. The present article proposes a simple wave-powered pump to demonstrate the concept cost-effectively at prototype scale. Possible solutions to the problems of dilution and plunging of dense, nutrient-rich DOW are discussed. Two further possible benefits of this proposal are discussed: by extracting wave energy, relatively calm fishing grounds may be created close to markets, and by pumping up very large quantities of cold DOW, the surface temperature could be lowered enough to reduce coral bleaching on parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.