Science for the Earth: Submerged seaweed for sequestration
biological oceanographer Ajit Subramaniam Explains how Sargassum seaweed can help reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to combat climate change. He is studying the practicalities and effects of sinking large quantities of plants that grow on the surface to the ocean floor. This would lock up carbon absorbed by plants and photosynthesis for at least a century.
“The idea is that if you collect sargassum offshore at a depth of about 2,000 meters and immediately sink it to the ocean floor, you will extract the carbon dioxide that has been fixed, which makes up this biomass and basically „They haven't had any contact with the atmosphere for at least 100 years,“ Subramaniam said.
Researchers believe climate change is prompting large-scale blooms of sargassum, which are piling up and rotting on beaches. Beach popular with tourists The Caribbean is an all-too-visible example of how the communities that contribute the least to the climate crisis are the ones most affected by it.
“When sargassum washes up on beaches, it releases hydrogen sulfide, which can have negative effects on human health, but more importantly, sargassum can completely eliminate the tourism industry that many of these communities depend on. Subramaniam said.
This is the second video in Science for the Planet, a series of short explanations about how scientists and scholars at Columbia Climate School are working to understand the impacts of climate change and help solve the crisis.