While oceans hold the potential to sequester gigatons of carbon dioxide at low cost, removing the gigatons of carbon dioxide warming the planet, every developmental step for pathways that amplify the natural process of carbon storage in the world’s waters must be transparent. 

For microalgae carbon fixation and sinking (MCFS), this transparency begins with modeling. Before our technology is tested in the water, Gigablue uses biogeochemical and physical ocean models to evaluate where MCFS could work, how it might behave, and the potential impacts.

Why modeling matters for mCDR

Much of the world’s seas remain physically uncharted; however, advances in computer modeling and simulation enable scientists and researchers to virtually explore and recreate ocean environments, thereby improving understanding of how carbon removal pathways may work in the oceans. 

For MCFS specifically, modeling is the foundation and the first step for testing assumptions and evaluating safety long before any field activity occurs. Through simulations and datasets compiled by leveraging billions of dollars in public research and development funding, developers of marine carbon dioxide removal pathways have access to a virtual ocean to evaluate outcomes before any vessel sets sail to conduct physical experiments. 

A closer look at Gigablue’s modeling system

Creating these simulations requires hours of computing time leaning heavily on open datasets and advanced modeling tools available from the European Union through its Copernicus Earth Observation program, the Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, HYCOM, a collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Navy, and Parcels, the open source modeling tool that enables Langrangian modeling for the distribution of particles across the ocean. 

These different data sets include the biogeochemical and physical conditions as they’re currently understood, and leveraging this data allows researchers to forecast the implications of various applications of microalgae carbon fixation and sinking. 

Identifying where MCFS can work

Using these models, Gigablue has identified the locations that are most conducive to the gigaton-scale carbon removal applications Gigablue is developing.

These locations must be high-nitrogen, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) environments, as those conditions are optimal for developing carbon removal projects. 

Based on modeling, Gigablue has found that a wide band in the Southern Hemisphere and another, smaller band in the Northern Hemisphere, classified as HNLC, are most suitable for the MCFS approach. 

Modeling application outcomes 

Once these regions are identified, we conduct further studies to forecast the potential impacts of a carbon sequestering substrate on ocean environments. Our models project that any application of our substrate in the geographies identified has minimal effects on the growth rates of existing species and that these species maintain growth rates within the acceptable range established by biogeochemists, despite the presence of additional biogeochemical materials. 

And these models are designed for the maximum thresholds of a potential application, well below what the company plans to introduce into marine environments. 

Building confidence through transparency

Modeling will never replace field research, but it is the safest and most responsible starting point for mCDR approaches like MCFS. It allows scientists, regulators, and communities to scrutinize impacts early, before any physical intervention takes place. It also provides a framework for continuous refinement as new datasets and monitoring tools improve.

Gigablue is committed to building in public to ensure that the community of ocean scientists, advocates, and colleagues in carbon removal have confidence in our research and can benefit from the research we produce. 

Our latest model shows the global ocean regions with the greatest potential for marine carbon dioxide removal using MCFS. Reach out to learn more.