Alumna, Sarah Mastroni, co-authored the report, “Answering Critical Questions About Sinking Macroalgae for Carbon Dioxide Removal: A Research Framework to Investigate Sequestration Efficacy and Environmental Impacts”, with Ocean Visions and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Sarah began work on this report as part of her capstone project in the CSP program. The report provides a framework for a global research program that can address critical knowledge gaps around the impacts and efficacy of cultivating and sinking seaweed for carbon sequestration. The guidance in this report is intended to accelerate the production of actionable scientific information to inform policy decisions about climate solutions.
The report covers the following:
- The foremost scientific questions concerning efficacy and impacts of large-scale cultivation and subsequent sinking of seaweed for carbon dioxide removal
- Detailed guidance on experimental designs for controlled field trials to answer all relevant questions about the efficacy and impacts of sinking seaweed for carbon dioxide removal
- Cost estimates for individual field trials and estimated costs for a global research program
- An accompanying budget tool to support resource allocation for field experiments
- A list of existing oceanographic assets, infrastructure, and pilot projects that can be leveraged to accelerate research and development
