Scientists dump than 4,200 gallons of corrosive chemical compound into the ocean: The water turned pink with potential benefits for marine life

A large fluorescent pink patch appeared on the waters of the Gulf of Maine off the northeastern coast of the United States. Although it looked like a chemical spill, it was actually a federally approved scientific experiment designed to evaluate a potential tool for combating climate change. The goal was to determine whether increasing the ocean’s alkalinity could enhance its ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere while reducing the growing problem of ocean acidification.

The research was led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of the LOC-NESS project, the first open-ocean trial of its kind to receive authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. During a six-hour operation, researchers released just over 4,200 gallons of high-purity sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye, across an area of approximately 0.4 square miles.

Treating seawater

The substance, sodium hydroxide, is a chemical commonly used to adjust the pH of drinking water. When sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater, it promotes the formation of bicarbonate, a stable chemical compound that naturally occurs in the ocean. Through this process, the ocean’s surface could absorb more atmospheric CO₂ while also reducing the acidification that threatens corals, shellfish, and other marine organisms that rely on calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons.

To accurately track the movement of the treated water, the research team added a fluorescent dye known as Rhodamine, which created the striking pink color visible from drones and satellites. The dye allowed scientists to monitor the treated water mass for five days using a second research vessel, autonomous underwater vehicles, and satellite observations. At the same time, researchers continuously recorded key water quality measurements, including pH, temperature, and salinity.

Early results

The first findings, presented earlier this year, were considered encouraging. Analyses found no significant differences in bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish larvae, or lobster larvae between treated and untreated areas. In addition, the water’s pH returned to normal within the expected timeframe, suggesting the experiment was carefully controlled and produced no detectable short-term impacts on the local ecosystem.

Even so, the researchers caution that these results do not prove the technology is completely safe. The study did not examine potential effects on larger marine animals or higher levels of the food chain, nor did it evaluate how large-scale deployment might affect commercial fisheries or marine ecosystems over the long term.

Another major challenge is whether this approach could be implemented on a global scale. Although the experiment demonstrated that ocean alkalinity can be increased in a controlled manner, achieving a meaningful impact on global warming would require enormous amounts of material, continuous monitoring, and a highly complex infrastructure to ensure that unintended environmental consequences do not occur.

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