Climate change is an environmental threat, and to keep global warming under 2°C, actions are needed to prevent escalating negative effects like droughts and flooding. Cutting emissions might not suffice, and other methods might be needed. One suggested method is Oceanic Iron Fertilization (OIF), where oceans are fertilized with iron to increase primary production and sequestration of CO2 from atmosphere. OIF has been criticized as risky due to unknown sideeffects. Fertilization research was explored in-depth to identify risks and opportunities, and how it could be assisted by remote sensing. The Southern Ocean has been a focus of research for OIF. This region is productive, but limited by the short growth season and lack of iron. One factor in this Southern Ocean region is whale numbers. Whales are effective fertilizers, diving deep to hunt and bringing important nutrients to the surface. Whales have been focused on this paper, as OIF within their natural habitat could resemble natural fertilization. Locating whales can be done with remote sensing. Satellites can also play a role in iron fertilization by tracking resulting algal blooms. The Southern Ocean has highest potential for OIF, and the option should be explored with remote sensing and whale knowledge.
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