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Last Update: 10/26/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
Marine Carbon Removal
Coverage from Columbia Climate School, MIT News, and others
Marine carbon removal includes approaches such as ocean alkalinity enhancement, biological carbon pumps, seaweed-based pathways, and experimental storage of biomass in deep or low-oxygen waters.
Researchers are testing whether these methods produce additional, durable CO2 removal rather than short-lived changes in the carbon cycle, using measurements of dissolved gases, seawater chemistry, photosynthesis, and ecosystem health. The field also raises questions about ecological effects, carbon-credit integrity, community participation, and regulation of interventions in shared ocean spaces. National Academies assessments emphasize that marine removal may complement—not replace—rapid emissions cuts and requires strong safeguards and verification.
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All Articles16 articles
Important
In an updated research strategy, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assessed marine carbon removal in the global ocean and identified scientific, life-cycle accounting and governance challenges to responsible deployment.
9/21/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
MIT researchers Kripa Varanasi and T. Alan Hatton, supported by University of Maine collaborators, trial electrochemical CO2 removal from seawater in Maine oyster hatcheries in 2023-era development work.
4/14/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
The National Academies reported in 2025 that marine carbon removal, especially ocean alkalinity enhancement, faces governance gaps that could limit climate mitigation deployment worldwide.
9/16/2026 • Policy, Politics & Governance • General
Microsoft paused carbon removal purchases while Carboniferous prepared an EPA-permitted ocean biomass sinking test in the Orca Basin off Louisiana.
5/12/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Duke University and Halifax Harbour researchers test marine carbon dioxide removal in Nova Scotia using alkaline minerals and biology, with monitoring to verify additional, durable, and safe CO2 removal.
5/8/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Researchers deploy mCDR monitoring instruments in Halifax Harbour, Canada, to test ocean alkalinity enhancement while emphasizing MRV, carbon permanence, and ecosystem safety.
5/8/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
A lab study compared oxic and anoxic incubation conditions for macroalgae and found stronger dissolved inorganic carbon stabilization under anoxic respiration with limited N2O and CH4 offset.
7/8/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Scientists report that calcium carbonate additions for ocean alkalinity enhancement trigger precipitation above a stability threshold, limiting marine CO2 removal.
6/27/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Scientists from Duke University and the Cassar Lab tested marine carbon dioxide removal in Halifax Harbour by measuring seawater chemistry, dissolved gases, and photosynthesis to verify CO2 removal and safety.
5/9/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Scientists study seaweed farms in shallow coastal systems to assess alkalinity driven carbon removal in the current era.
1/8/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Vesta deployed crushed olivine near Long Island, New York in 2022, and monitoring reported limited seafloor impacts after one year while additional trials continue.
5/15/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
The National Academies published a September 2026 report finding that marine carbon dioxide removal faces governance gaps limiting responsible development worldwide.
9/16/2026 • Policy, Politics & Governance • General
Interesting
Researchers plan Bass Strait field tests of ocean alkalinity enhancement using RV Investigator to evaluate CO2 removal performance, environmental impacts, and measurement methods in Australia.
7/23/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Vycarb is developing bicarbonate-based carbon removal in Brooklyn and other markets during the 2020s to provide durable storage where geological sequestration is limited.
8/9/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
Researchers at Cornell and collaborators modeled global adoption of enhanced rock weathering on Feb. 16, finding up to about 1.1 GtCO2e annual removal by 2100 if Global South adoption and market mechanisms scale.
2/17/2026 • Clean Energy & Emissions • General
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law is hosting an international webinar on marine carbon dioxide removal governance under the BBNJ Agreement, UNFCCC, and Paris Agreement.
5/27/2026 • Policy, Politics & Governance • General