Author
Carbon to Sea Initiative
Today, Carbon to Sea is proud to share our 2024 Annual Report, showcasing the significant progress we’ve made in evaluating ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) over the past year, alongside our many partners and grantees. In 2024, we’ve seen increased collaboration, growing investment, and new research that has helped elevate and advance OAE as a potential climate solution.
Since our launch in 2023, Carbon to Sea has awarded more than $24 million in grant funding to systematically assess OAE’s efficacy and environmental impact. We’ve invested nearly $9 million in laboratory and mesocosm studies, $7 million in field research, and millions more towards critical field development work, such as standards-development, community engagement, and policy advocacy. Across our global network of grantees, there are a growing number of studies about OAE’s potential for carbon removal at a climate-relevant scale. Those studies include initial evidence about emerging safe operating limits for OAE when it comes to environmental impact, including for multiple species and marine food webs.
Carbon to Sea has worked to guide this rapid growth toward a responsible and highly accountable sector. Our team engaged with more than 100 senior U.S. government officials and provided testimony to inform the development of science-driven guidelines for U.S. federal funding of ocean-based carbon removal removal (oCDR) research. We also hosted our second annual OAE conference with over 160 attendees convening to identify efficiencies and improve collaboration.
As a result of Carbon to Sea’s leadership and the impressive work of our grantees, there has been growing awareness of and interest in OAE over the past several years. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) focused several major grant awards on OAE and the AGU’s 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting covered OAE prominently. Notably, OAE was identified as a high-potential pathway during the first ever U.S. congressional hearing on oCDR, which included strong bipartisan support for more research.
We are energized by the progress made over the past year, and we look forward to building on this work in 2025. To learn more about Carbon to Sea, read our full Annual Report HERE.
