Microbial Carbon Sequestration in the Ocean: The Big Role of Small Bugs in Mitigating Global Climate Change——An Interview with Prof. JIAO Nianzhi

Ocean is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth. By taking up about one-third of all human carbon emissions, it has effectively reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide and eased global climate change. Scientists have studied extensively on the mechanisms of C02 absorption in the ocean, or the so-called ＂carbon pumps＂, from physical to chemical and biological pumps. Microbes, traditionally regarded as organic matter decomposers, had been long neglected until a few years ago Prof. JIAO Nianzhi from Xiamen University proposed the concept ＂microbial carbon pump （MCP）＂ illustrating that these tiny marine inhabitants are also producers of refractory dissolved organic carbon, a persistent form of matter which can be stored in the ocean for thousands of years and thus constitute an ideal carbon pool. Today, the MCP concept has been widely accepted as a promising sequestration strategy, and Prof. JIAO is working hand in hand with scientists from all over the world under the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research （SCOR） Working Group 134 to better understand how to use these magic creatures for preserving carbon in the deep blue.     

Future Carbon Research: Monitoring Regional Emissions and Developing Sequestration Strategies——An Interview with Prof. ZENG Ning

＂The ICDC meeting was first convened in Switzerland in 1981 with 40 attendees. This time it has more than 500 participants from all over the world. It speaks for both how interesting the scientific questions are and how much good science we can do＂ -- Prof. ZENG Ning