Coastal waters are warmed by sunlight. This effect; though, may be mitigated with the deployment of kelp farms. Kelp grown off coastlines would absorb sunlight, thus preventing the full heating effect of solar radiation exposure.*
As kelp grows, oxygen is released. Deployment of kelp farms in "Dead Zones" around the world would supplant oxygen lost in the decomposition of growths associated with excess nitrogen runoff. As oxygen is essential to sea life, this replenishment would improve the health of the entire coastal food chain.*
In addition to the cooling effect and oxygen replenishment of coastal kelp farms, the potential exists to capture significant energy. Along the California coast alone, it has been estimated that nearly 90 billion gallons of E100 might be produced with kelp cultivation. This would be in addition to a potential generation of approximately 15 quadrillion Btu of methane -- still just off of California's coast. Combining the potential energy which may be generated off all U.S. coastlines, 100% of transportation fuel demand -- along with the majority of natural gas and electricity needs -- could be sustainably met.*
*Blume, David (2007). Alcohol Can Be a Gas! Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century. Santa Cruz, CA, USA: International Institute for Ecological Agriculture
"Kelp Tank" via Sharon Mollerus, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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