Carbon capture and ocean acidification mitigation potential by seaweed farms in tropical and subtropical coastal environments

PI: Andreas Andersson, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Start Year: 2023 | Duration: 3 years
Partners: Scripps Institute of Oceanography University of California San Diego, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Marine Biological Laboratory, Sunburst Sensors, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA PMEL)

Project Abstract:

This project will explore the carbon capture capacity and ocean acidification mitigation in three operational seaweed farms in Florida and Okinawa, Japan. At the two smaller study sites, co-culturing of seaweed with shellfish and corals offers opportunities to assess the additive co-benefits of these combined activities, which could strengthen ecosystem resilience. The study sites in Japan are larger than any seaweed farms in the US, and studies here will help identify the risks and benefits of seaweed farming at scale. Researchers will use a state-of-the-art monitoring program with ocean sensors as well as reference-quality measurements. Drifting ocean sensors will measure water flow across the seaweed farms, which affects the productivity and the amount of carbon absorbed. Numerical modeling will elucidate the capacity of seaweed to absorb carbon under a range of different conditions. By comparing these estimates based on seawater chemistry and physics to the amount of seaweed harvested and exported each year, we can identify carbon capture efficiency to different aspects of the seaweed cultivation.