Lobsters and acidic seas: can shellfish help neutralise one of the greatest threats to the ocean?

In New England, where the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery is already feeling climate change, a new study track aims to test whether shellfish-related chemistry could help offset ocean CO2 uptake. Scientist Adam Subhas of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution leads LOC-NESS (Locking Ocean Carbon in the North-east Shelf and Slope), which is assessing ocean alkalinity enhancement to help seawater absorb more carbon. Proponents say marine carbon dioxide removal could support efforts to avoid the 2C tipping point set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement. Progress has accelerated, with Ocean Carbon Removal Watch showing £370m invested over five years, including at least £44m in 2023 federal funding—now threatened by Trump’s cuts.