Patent · US Expired

Method for bringing nutrient-rich water from the aphotic zone of the ocean to the photic zone

US4189379A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
10References
3Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 7, 1978
Grant dateFeb 19, 1980
Priority date—
Expiry dateAug 7, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/30
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Nutrient-rich ocean water from the aphotic zone of the ocean, which normally begins at about 100 to 200 meters below the ocean surface, is desalinated or partially desalinated in situ using electro-dialysis to leave the nutrients in the water. The nutrient-rich desalinated water thus obtained, being of lesser density than the surrounding seawater, naturally rises through conduits into the relatively nutrient-poor photic zone of the ocean and is dispersed therein, thus increasing the concentration of nutrients in the photic zone near the surface of the ocean. This increases the fertility of the near-surface photic zone, and thus increases the supply of harvestable food fish from the near-surface photic zone.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.