Seaweed could be scaled as a climate solution and turned into food, pharmaceuticals and bioenergy, according to a new study.

The study by investors Craig Douglas, who is a partner at Europe's leading climate tech VC, World Fund, and Ross Brooks, a partner and investment director, ocean, at Katapult VC, argues that seaweed presents an extensive opportunity by displacing fossil fuel-based products and carbon sequestration.

The study says seas cover 70% of the surface area of the planet and ocean-based climate solutions provide enormous potential to scale.

The report argues near-term solutions include using seaweed to help displace fossil-based products, such as in the creation of bioplastics and bioenergy.

And seaweed could also be widely utilised as a food source, and as animal feed to reduce methane emissions from livestock farming.

For example, it can act as an important habitat for other forms of marine life and it can also absorb excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water in which it grows.

And Douglas added in the long-term, the potential from the carbon sequestration side is “astronomically high” and seaweed could prove to be one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet.

Ross added “we are really just at the tip of the iceberg” in terms of our understanding around seaweed, with research into new and existing strains unlocking improved resiliency, growth, yield consistency and improved composition for end market applications.

Source:
Forbes (2024.6.11) Seaweed Could Have ‘Massive’ Climate Mitigation Impact, Study Finds