Subramaniam is proposing what he calls “a nature-based solution” for carbon removal that takes Sargassum macroalgae and sinks it down to 2,000 meters below the ocean’s surface. Sargassum is a pelagic macroalgae, which means it spends its entire lifecycle on the surface of the ocean and is visible to the eye. “It’s never attached to land and doesn’t come onshore unless it’s washed up and beached.”
An illustration of Subramaniam’s project using advanced remote sensing, modeling, and marine robotics to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also mitigating economic and ecological harm caused by Sargassum. Image by Caroline Juang, courtesy of Ajit Subramaniam
