Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C necessitates significantly reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, complemented by the large-scale implementation of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies. Marine-based carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) strategies, including Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE), offer scalable, cost-effective
solutions with co-benefits like enhanced biodiversity, food security, and coastal protection. With the world’s longest coastline and access to three ocean basins, Canada is uniquely positioned to advance mCDR technologies and their Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). However, the lack of robust MRV frameworks hinders their development and deployment. Robust MRV ensures CDR initiatives' credibility, transparency, and scalability, quantifying CO₂ removal, assessing durability, and avoiding double counting. While terrestrial MRV methods are relatively mature, those for mCDR
remain underdeveloped.
Effective MRV requires accurate, frequent in-situ measurements of ocean carbon chemistry parameters such as pH, pCO₂, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and Total Alkalinity (TA), which are critical for understanding ocean dynamics and validating mCDR approaches.
Laboratory-based measurement of carbon chemistry parameters is often time-consuming, labour-intensive, requires sample preservation, and lacks the spatiotemporal resolution necessary for accurate MRV of mCDR, especially in long-term field trials and scale-up projects. While sensors for a few carbon chemistry parameters, e.g., pH, salinity, and pCO₂, have matured, in-situ measurements for mCDR are still limited. Only a few studies to date have demonstrated the use of pH, salinity, and pCO₂ sensors for in situ OAE field measurements. On the other hand, sensor technology for other parameters, particularly DIC and TA, significantly lags behind in both availability and maturity compared to pH, salinity, and pCO2. Existing TA analyzers are fluidically and energetically inefficient, requiring large sample/reagent volumes and long analysis times.
The goal of my research (based on industry-driven criteria) is to develop a next-generation technology for transforming ocean observations which reduces reagent and power use, extends operational longevity and versatility, increases temporal resolution, and minimizes maintenance and cost, utilizing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies.
solutions with co-benefits like enhanced biodiversity, food security, and coastal protection. With the world’s longest coastline and access to three ocean basins, Canada is uniquely positioned to advance mCDR technologies and their Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). However, the lack of robust MRV frameworks hinders their development and deployment. Robust MRV ensures CDR initiatives' credibility, transparency, and scalability, quantifying CO₂ removal, assessing durability, and avoiding double counting. While terrestrial MRV methods are relatively mature, those for mCDR
remain underdeveloped.
Effective MRV requires accurate, frequent in-situ measurements of ocean carbon chemistry parameters such as pH, pCO₂, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and Total Alkalinity (TA), which are critical for understanding ocean dynamics and validating mCDR approaches.
Laboratory-based measurement of carbon chemistry parameters is often time-consuming, labour-intensive, requires sample preservation, and lacks the spatiotemporal resolution necessary for accurate MRV of mCDR, especially in long-term field trials and scale-up projects. While sensors for a few carbon chemistry parameters, e.g., pH, salinity, and pCO₂, have matured, in-situ measurements for mCDR are still limited. Only a few studies to date have demonstrated the use of pH, salinity, and pCO₂ sensors for in situ OAE field measurements. On the other hand, sensor technology for other parameters, particularly DIC and TA, significantly lags behind in both availability and maturity compared to pH, salinity, and pCO2. Existing TA analyzers are fluidically and energetically inefficient, requiring large sample/reagent volumes and long analysis times.
The goal of my research (based on industry-driven criteria) is to develop a next-generation technology for transforming ocean observations which reduces reagent and power use, extends operational longevity and versatility, increases temporal resolution, and minimizes maintenance and cost, utilizing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies.