Evidence first
Peer-reviewed experiments, long-term observations and natural-analogue studies.
Places and evidence contexts
Ocean iron fertilisation: Ocean evidence in geographic context.
Seven detailed records connect physical setting, plankton ecology, experiments, natural analogues, carbon fate, measurement, operations and governance.
A spatial anchor
Three ocean regions where iron limitation is a central research question.
Basin-scale setting provides the geographic frame for the evidence contexts. These bands show scientific context, not project areas or maritime boundaries.
02Subarctic North Pacific
01Equatorial Pacific
03Southern Ocean
Broad scientific context only: not HNLC boundaries, maritime boundaries, project sites or permission areas.
Regional entry points
Three ocean systems, equal weight.
The regional overviews compare evidence, MRV, ecological uncertainty, field reality and governance sensitivity without a composite score.
01
Regional overview
Equatorial Pacific
Fast advection, ENSO and upwelling make physical attribution inseparable from biological response.
Galápagos natural iron supply and the geographically separate IronEx experiments anchor the evidence.
Open the regional overview →02Regional overview
Subarctic North Pacific
Season, seed stock, grazing, silicate and winter ventilation determine whether a bloom becomes deep export.
OSP/SERIES and SEEDS/SEEDS-II are high-seas research locations linked to Canadian and Japanese science.
Open the regional overview →03Regional overview
Southern Ocean
Light, mixing, deep particle fate, winter ventilation and protected ecosystems widen the observation boundary.
SAGE provides direct counterevidence; Kerguelen, Crozet and South Georgia provide contrasting natural analogues.
Open the regional overview →Featured evidence contexts
Seven detailed evidence contexts.
Field experiments, long-running observatories, natural iron systems and a low-response result reveal different parts of the OIF evidence chain.
01Natural analogue + mesoscale field experiments
Galápagos & eastern equatorial Pacific
How do rapid advection, ENSO and a changing plankton community alter export, attribution and downstream effects?
Equatorial PacificRead the evidence context →02Mesoscale field experiment + long-term observatoryOcean Station Papa & SERIES
What fraction of bloom carbon passes below winter ventilation depth instead of being grazed, respired or diluted?
Subarctic North PacificRead the evidence context →03Repeat mesoscale field experimentsSEEDS & SEEDS-II
Which initial ecological and physical measurements explain a SEEDS-like bloom versus a SEEDS-II-like grazing response?
Subarctic North PacificRead the evidence context →04Direct field counterevidenceSAGE · New Zealand
Can biological carbon change be separated from mixing, low silica, small-cell ecology and shallow recycling?
Southern OceanRead the evidence context →05Natural iron-fertilisation analogueKerguelen Plateau
Which export mechanisms depend on sustained topographic supply and island seeding rather than iron relief alone?
Southern OceanRead the evidence context →06Natural analogue + deep-export observationsCrozet Plateau
How much deep flux reflects island-specific seed populations and a longer export season rather than a transferable open-ocean pathway?
Southern OceanRead the evidence context →07Recurring natural analogue + deep trapsSouth Georgia
What share of deep resting-spore flux is additional to natural production, and how do food webs, circulation and protected-area constraints shape the interpretation?
Southern OceanRead the evidence context →Evidence classes
Each context contributes a different part of the answer.
| Evidence class | Contexts | Scientific contribution | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesoscale field experiment | IronEx, SEEDS, SAGE | Response, transport, community composition and particle observations under a stated intervention. | One experiment is not a regional average, removal result or permission pathway. |
| Long-running observatory | Ocean Station Papa / SERIES | Seasonal context, physical variability and repeated observation around an enrichment study. | Observatory evidence is not a permanent treatment-reference system. |
| Natural iron analogue | Galápagos, Kerguelen, Crozet, South Georgia | Recurring contrasts between iron supply, plankton communities and carbon pathways. | Natural systems differ from a deliberate intervention and may be protected or disputed. |
| Counterevidence | SAGE, LOHAFEX and other records in the atlas | Shows why a physiological response or productivity increase need not become particle export. | A low response in one setting is not a universal outcome. |
Evidence base
Scientific basis for the seven contexts.
The evidence includes peer-reviewed experiments, long-term observations and natural-analogue studies.
Place matters
Physical setting, season, biology and governance are retained rather than averaged into a generic OIF story.
Limits remain visible
Biological response, carbon transfer to depth, atmospheric accounting and legal context remain distinct.
Sources & methods links primary and official records for treaty and governance status.