Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion - and Plankton

pedalling_faster · Intermediate Crude Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 763

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0119-01.htm

i've been seeing articles like this for about 6 months.

basically, warmer surface water temperatures in the ocean, acting as a "road-block" for the upwelling of colder water, which contains "plankton", kind of a catch-all phrase for the smaller plants and animals ... which are a major food source for the larger animal inhabitants of the ocean.

many fewer plankton equivals into many fewer fish, a.k.a. less food.

a voice in the back says, "well, why not pump the cold plankton-containing water up to the surface ?" 2 reasons come to mind -

1. it would take a lot of energy, and
2. introducing plankton into the warmer surface waters may not be doing them, or the fish, shrimp, etc. that eat them, any favors.

then i realize - i was already perplexed by then EROEI details of OTEC. people are talking about pumping cold water up from the bottom of the ocean, and then using the temperature difference to drive engines based on working fluids that volatilize/boil at lower temperatures.

So ... if OTEC has a positive return on energy, is it/ would it be productive to develop it as a "Mix-Master" technique for circulating water between stratified ocean thermal layers ?

Ludi

I think there's a problem of scale....

Ocean = Very Large
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Ibon