Groundbreaking Research Confirms Seaweed Farming’s Potential as a Blue Carbon Solution

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oceans 2050, under the leadership of President Alexandra Cousteau and Chief Scientist Professor Carlos Duarte, has unveiled landmark findings published in Nature Climate Change that demonstrate the significant climate mitigation potential of seaweed farming. The study, titled “Carbon burial in sediments below seaweed farms matches that of Blue Carbon habitats,” marks the first comprehensive, empirical assessment of carbon burial rates beneath seaweed farms globally.

Conducted across 20 seaweed farms spanning five continents, the study confirms that seaweed farming can sequester carbon in the sediments below at rates comparable to vegetated coastal ecosystems like mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses. This research highlights the dual benefits of seaweed farming: meeting food security and economic development goals while advancing climate change mitigation efforts.

Key findings include:

• Seaweed farms bury carbon at rates similar to mangroves and seagrasses, two ecosystems already known for their climate benefits.
• Older and larger seaweed farms store more carbon, showing that sustainable farming can have lasting impacts.
• If expanded worldwide, seaweed farming could remove up to 140 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year by 2050.

“This research provides compelling evidence of the critical role that seaweed farming can play in addressing the climate crisis,” said Alexandra Cousteau, President of Oceans 2050. “By quantifying its carbon sequestration potential, we hope to unlock new avenues for investment in sustainable aquaculture as a climate solution.”

Professor Carlos Duarte, lead author and Chief Scientist of Oceans 2050, emphasized the study’s broader implications: “Seaweed farming offers a scalable, nature-based solution for carbon removal while delivering co-benefits such as biodiversity enhancement, economic opportunities, and food security. This research is a pivotal step towards integrating seaweed aquaculture into global climate strategies.”

The findings also underscore the need for robust frameworks to develop carbon credits for seaweed farming, ensuring that this promising Blue Carbon strategy can be integrated into carbon markets. By prioritizing marine spatial planning and sustainability, seaweed farming has the potential to become a cornerstone of the regenerative Blue Economy.

This research is part of Oceans 2050’s Global Seaweed Project, launched in September 2020, and marks a pivotal milestone in the advancement of the seaweed industry, providing a robust scientific foundation for the creation of a verified carbon credit methodology. By quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of seaweed farms, the Global Seaweed Project demonstrates the feasibility of creating a new blue carbon market that can support both climate mitigation and the development of a sustainable Blue Economy. Additionally, the project highlights the significant social impact of seaweed farming, with over 99% of participating farmers, most of whom are women, coming from coastal communities in developing countries. This underscores seaweed farming's potential to promote gender equity, improve food security, and strengthen local resilience to climate change.

In 2021, the Global Seaweed Project was awarded the prestigious Keeling Curve Award that recognizes outstanding initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project has been generously funded by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Bezos Earth Fund via WWF, the Grantham Foundation, and Climateworks Foundation, enabling groundbreaking research and impactful initiatives.

Reference of the Study and Link

Duarte, C.M., A. Delgado-Huertas, E. Marti, B. Gasser, I. San Martin, A. Cousteau, F. Neumeyer, M. Reilly-Cayten, J. Boyce, T. Kuwae, M. Hori, T. Miyajima, N. N. Price, S. Arnold, A. M. Ricart, S. Davis, N. Surugau, A. Al-Jeria, J. Wu, X. Xiao, I. K. Chung, C.G Choi, C. F.A. Sondak, H. Albasri, D. Krause-Jensen, A. Bruhn, T. Boderskov, K. Hancke. J. Funderud, A. R. Borrero-Santiago, F. Pascal, P. Joanne, L. Ranivoarivelo, W. T. Collins, J. Clark, J.F. Gutierrez, R. Riquelme, M. Avila, P. I. Macreadie, and P. Masque. 2024.

Carbon Burial in Sediments below Seaweed Farms matches that of blue carbon habitats. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02238-1

About Oceans 2050

Oceans 2050 is dedicated to enabling a future where our oceans thrive. We believe in the power of collaboration to achieve this goal. Oceans 2050 focuses on strategies that bridge the gap between people and the planet by empowering ocean changemakers, scaling innovative technologies, enabling transformational initiatives, and developing public tools to accelerate the restoration of abundant oceans by creating a connected experience right at our fingertips.

Visit www.oceans2050.org for more information.

About the Global Seaweed Project

Launched in September 2020, The Global Seaweed Carbon Project aims to harness the power of seaweed farming to mitigate climate change and restore ocean health. By quantifying the carbon sequestration of macroalgae (seaweed) beneath seaweed farms, we are creating a pathway to a new blue carbon market that can drive sustainable growth. This project enhances understanding of seaweed farming’s role in capturing carbon, attracts investment, and generates additional revenue streams for farmers while restoring marine ecosystems. Our ultimate goal is to create the conditions needed to scale up seaweed farming, potentially removing gigatons of atmospheric CO₂ and regenerating our oceans.

Visit www.globalseaweedproject.org for more information.

About Global Water Challenge

Global Water Challenge (GWC) is the fiscal sponsor for Oceans 2050 in the USA. GWC is a sector leader in mobilizing clean water access, advancing water security and community empowerment in high need regions around the world. Since 2005, GWC has positively impacted more than 3 million people across Africa, the Americas and Asia with improved WASH delivery while providing critical tools, data and best practices to reach millions more. With our 100+ multi-sector partners, we engage for action – catalyzing financial resources and driving innovative programming for sustainable, local solutions.

Visit globalwaterchallenge.org for more information.