Testing Before Scaling: Inside Gigablue's Staged Approach to Ocean Carbon Removal

Press

Sapir Markus-Alford

September 15, 2026

The Science, Verification, and Environmental Safeguards Behind Gigablue’s New Zealand Trials

Fig 1. Offshore of Dunedin, New Zealand, is where Gigablue’s research trial is proposed to take place within an area of interest (AOI) in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, primarily encompassing a portion of the Bounty Trough.

Developing ocean carbon removal approaches alongside emissions reduction pathways is increasingly recognized as an important step in mitigating the adverse environmental, economic, and social impacts of climate change. Doing so responsibly requires building the scientific evidence and safeguards needed to evaluate their potential at a meaningful scale.

Gigablue, a carbon capture and sequestration company, is preparing to conduct an open-ocean research trial within New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone to evaluate its Puro.earth certified Microalgae Carbon Fixation and Sinking (MCFS) methodology, an advanced approach to ocean carbon removal. Through its work with Puro.earth, a leading carbon removal standard and certification platform, Gigablue has published the MCFS methodology and is currently pursuing independent verification for durable carbon removal and storage.

"We want this method tested to the highest standard before it's used at any meaningful scale," Ori Shaashua, Co-founder, CCO said, "and that means welcoming independent oversight, not avoiding it."

To date, Gigablue has completed three field deployments within New Zealand waters and numerous laboratory experiments providing foundational data and insight that supports the current state of MCFS knowledge.

Beyond Carbon: Economic Contributions and Growth in New Zealand

Outside of advancing ocean innovation, Gigablue’s venture also carries potential economic benefits for host regions, including onshore and vessel-based jobs tied to continued MCFS research and activity.

Independent analysis by Insight Economics, peer-reviewed by NZIER, estimates the development phase would contribute $818 million to GDP and more than 5,000 full-time equivalent years of work. [Economic Assessment, §5.6, p.19] At the proposed operational scale, the annual contribution is projected at $585 million to GDP and around 4,000 ongoing jobs, concentrated in Otago and Southland. [Economic Assessment, §6.5, p.23]

The ongoing research and assessment of MCFS could provide New Zealand with the opportunity to develop a new industry, attract investment, and generate significant economic value. Beyond economic returns, it could create new opportunities for local jobs, research, innovation, and participation in an emerging global climate industry.

Fig 2. MCFS Flow Scheme depicts the three temporal stages of the methodology: fixation, export, and sequestration. The vertical axis represents the water column depth, from carbon fixation at the surface (0 m) to durable carbon sequestration at the seabed (2,000 m), while the horizontal axis represents time since deployment.

How MCFS Works: From Carbon Capture to Sequestration

At its core, the MCFS methodology is designed to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) through phytoplankton-based carbon capture.

Phytoplankton naturally consume dissolved CO2 from seawater and convert it into carbon-rich biomass through a process known as photosynthesis. As phytoplankton consume dissolved CO₂ during photosynthesis, they lower the concentration of CO₂ in the seawater, resulting in a net drawdown of atmospheric CO2.

Together, these two processes are incorporated into the MCFS methodology to capture carbon in phytoplankton biomass, and remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

To do so, the MCFS methodology adds non-toxic, biodegradable 5-8 mm Carbon-Carrier Pods which contain insoluble micronutrient oxides to the surface ocean. [EIA, §3.1, p.6; §6.1.2, p.30] These pods are designed to remain in the surface ocean for a defined period of time (18 days) to support photosynthetic carbon capture.

During this time, phytoplankton enter the pods to access the micronutrients needed for photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. As biomass accumulates within each pod, its density increases until it exceeds that of seawater. [MCFS Technical Report, §1.4, p.8]

The individual pods then autonomously sink through the water column and rapidly export captured carbon to the deep ocean, with current estimates indicating a sinking distance of 1,000+ meters within 24 hours. [MCFS Technical Report, §1.4, p.8]

After exiting the surface ocean, the pods continue sinking to the seabed, where the captured carbon is expected to remain durably sequestered in the deep ocean for hundreds to thousands of years. [EIA, Executive Summary]; [MCFS Technical Report, §1.3, p.5]

Based on ocean water properties and the current sinking rate of Carbon-Carrier Pods, only an estimated ~1% of captured carbon is expected to be lost during transit from the surface ocean to the seabed, with the short transit time helping maximize carbon export while minimizing potential impacts on marine life and the surrounding environment. [MCFS Technical Report, §1.4, p.8]; [EIA, §3.3, p.7]

Gigablue is currently exploring laboratory and field research opportunities to quantitatively assess how photosynthetic carbon capture within Carbon-Carrier Pods and subsequent carbon export may affect atmospheric and seawater chemistry at deployment sites. This research will help improve understanding of carbon capture and removal, pod export efficiency, and potential ecosystem impacts.

Continued research and data collection will evaluate the performance of the MCFS methodology against standardized assessments and environmental thresholds that prioritize ocean health, helping inform its responsible advancement and scaling.

MCFS Research Program: A Staged, Data-Driven Approach to Scaling

Central to the company's approach is a staged research programme: small-scale trials first, with any adverse signals expected to surface and be acted on before activity scales up.

This approach is intended to evaluate methodology performance and its interactions with the surrounding environment early on, allowing data and real-time observations to identify research priorities, improve technology design, and prioritize ocean health for future MCFS activity. [Research Plan, Introduction, p.3]

Specifically, Gigablue developed a comprehensive Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) approach to provide a measurement framework for assessing environmental conditions across all operational phases. The approach combines a range of field-based sampling, real-time monitoring, and remote observation techniques to evaluate methodology performance, quantify carbon capture and removal, and monitor ecosystem impacts. [Research Plan, §2.1-3, p. 15-16]

Fig 3. Gigablue’s research programme for the MCFS methodology follows a multi-experimental approach consisting of validation (left), pen (middle), and mesocosm (right) experiments to evaluate environmental impacts and certify methodology performance at every stage of research.

Pod Design: MCFS Differs from Other Phytoplankton-Based Ocean Carbon Removal Approaches

Unlike historical ocean fertilization experiments, which stimulate uncontrolled phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean and have been associated with limited carbon export and adverse environmental impacts, MCFS is designed to retain phytoplankton biomass and efficiently export carbon to depth. [MCFS Distinction, §3, p.4; §4, p.4-5; §5, p. 7]

Instead of openly dispersing micronutrients into the surface ocean, MCFS binds insoluble micronutrient oxides within Carbon-Carrier Pods, creating a contained environment for phytoplankton growth, while limiting micronutrient leaching into the surrounding surface ocean. [MCFS Distinction, §4, p.4-5]; [EIA, §3.1, p.6]

MCFS also links carbon capture with autonomous export to depth, rather than relying solely on naturally occurring processes to transport phytoplankton biomass from the surface ocean to depth. [MCFS Technical Report, §1.3, p.5]; [MCFS Distinction, §4, p.4-5]

Ecological Monitoring: Assessing the Biological Feasibility of MCFS

Before scaling deployment, Gigablue commissioned an independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from Tonkin & Taylor to evaluate potential environmental effects associated with the proposed research activities.

The EIA modelled a worst-case scenario including activities of a magnitude larger than the actual planned trial. Tonkin & Taylor concluded that residual effects on seawater chemistry, plankton, marine invertebrates, fish, seabirds and marine mammals are expected to be low to negligible. [EIA, §7, p.37]

The assessment also considered potential biological interactions. In-situ eDNA monitoring reports that pods did not promote the proliferation of harmful algal blooms or pathogenic algal species following deployments. [EIA, §6.1.4, p. 31] Deployment and settlement zones were also selected specifically to avoid seabird hotspots and sensitive benthic habitats such as coral and sea pen fields. [EIA, §5.2.1, p.24-25]

Notably, the assessment does state some uncertainty around ingestion and behavioural responses, while still staying at a low impact level due to the size and use of biodegradable, non-toxic materials. [EIA, §6.3-6 p. 32-36] Further research and monitoring are designed to address this matter. [Research Plan, §1.2.3, p.15]

Global Integration: Incorporating Expert Perspectives

Gigablue also plans to seek input from external expertise across science, policy, ocean governance, and innovation to strengthen collaboration with international communities and inform the responsible evaluation and advancement of MCFS research and MRV initiatives.

"To safely restore our oceans and draw down CO2 pollution, we work alongside third-party scientific experts to demand rigorous, data-driven proof of our technology's safety and efficiency. This is why our research is intentionally staged – it allows us to surface and solve problems early before scaling up." - Sapir Markus-Alford, CTO

Notably, Gigablue is pursuing MCFS research in New Zealand, which is known for its scientifically rigorous environmental regulations. Furthermore, the company values its ongoing collaboration with the New Zealand government to develop and establish a scientifically-informed regulatory pathway for emerging ocean carbon removal technologies.

Indigenous Collaboration: Gigablue working with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

For the field trials in the Great South Basin, Gigablue has been engaging with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as activities are in their takiwā / tribal authority area. Gigablue also acknowledges the special relationship Ngāi Tahu has with this place and the ocean.

This ongoing engagement has covered a range of interests and is currently focused on innovation, research, and monitoring. Gigablue is supportive and keen to assist where it can in building, "a future where marine stewardship is led by iwi, informed by both science and mātauranga Māori." [Innovation and Data for Climate Change Solutions, p. 1–2]

Concluding Remark: Building on the Science

Taken together, these findings demonstrate promising insight that supports MCFS methodology’s capability to deliver carbon removal that is both safe and durable. Combining external feedback, in-situ monitoring, and scaled research, MCFS represents a scientifically robust and environmentally responsible approach to long-term carbon storage.