Plan to iron out plankton problem

ONE of the earth’s key natural barriers to global warming could be strengthened by the first commercial venture to grow vast plankton blooms, a US eco-restoration firm said yesterday.

California-based Planktos intends to drop tonnes of powdered iron into the Pacific in a two-year project that aims to induce the growth of plankton.

The powdered iron provides a key nutrient for plankton growth missing or in short supply in up to 70% of the world’s oceans.