CO₂ in the atmosphere and CO₂ in the ocean are in constant movement towards equilibrium. As CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere increases, much of that CO₂ ends up in the top layer of the ocean. This means that to rebalance the carbon cycle removing CO₂ from the surface ocean is as critical as removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.
In addition to its negative affect on global climate, excess CO₂ in the ocean leads to increasing ocean warming and acidification. Over the past two decades, the ocean has absorbed the equivalent of 5 atomic bombs of heat energy every second. Ocean warming and acidification also has a devastating impact on marine ecosystems and the many human communities that rely upon them.
As has been demonstrated by the IPCC and National Academy of Sciences, there are no credible scenarios to reduce ocean acidification, revitalize marine ecosystems, and keep global warming below the 1.5℃ mark that do not include carbon removal at the scale of billions of tons per year.
Accelerating the natural power of the ocean
Running Tide has developed a cutting-edge CO₂ removal system that integrates and amplifies three natural carbon pathways. First, Running Tide processes sustainably sourced, carbon-rich terrestrial biomass - such as forestry byproducts - into buoys on which to grow macroalgae. Second, these buoys are coated with calcium carbonate - such as crushed limestone - that partially dissolves in seawater, thereby sequestering CO2 through a recognized carbon removal process known as ocean alkalinity enhancement. The macroalgae growing on the surface of the open ocean capture carbon through photosynthetic growth, then after an optimized period of growth, the entire system sinks, transporting the embodied fast cycle carbon to the deep ocean, a slow carbon reservoir.
Running Tide’s terrestrial biomass is composed of forestry and agricultural byproducts, such as sawmill cutoffs, wildfire management burnpiles, and forestry residues, which would otherwise release their accumulated carbon through burning or decomposition. The buoy is then seeded with select species of native macroalgae (such as kelp). The buoys are placed in regions of the ocean that optimize rapid macroalgal growth and the eventual burial and preservation in deep ocean environments.
This process effectively transports carbon, stored in both the macroalgae and terrestrial biomass within the buoy, from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle, thereby removing it from the fast carbon cycle.
A trailblazer in ocean carbon removal
Running Tide leverages the expertise of leading third-party ocean and climate scientists with in-house scientists and engineers to design a CO₂ removal system that maximizes carbon removal, and environmental and societal co-benefits. The company is on the ambitious mission to fill critical knowledge gaps in how the ocean's natural CO₂ removal processes operate, how they can be enhanced through technology and nature-based solutions, and how such processes can be scaled to meet and exceed net-zero carbon targets.
Running Tide has developed cutting-edge diagnostics and measurement capabilities that provide in-situ monitoring of the location, timing, and progress of carbon removal deployments. These technologies include hardware and software engineered to operate within the open ocean, machine vision technology for documenting the growth and chemical evolution of the buoys, and data processing systems that rigorously quantify the total amount of carbon removed. Running Tide shares its research and data with an independent external Scientific Advisory Board, who review the company’s systems and modelling, Environmental Impact Assessments, and quantification methodologies. Compensate is supporting this innovative project by purchasing credits for which the actual carbon removal will happen in 2023. Running Tide is also currently working towards independent third-party verification.
Photo credit: Running Tide
Running Tide leverages the expertise of leading third-party ocean and climate scientists with in-house scientists and engineers to design a CO₂ removal system that maximizes carbon removal, and environmental and societal co-benefits.