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Origami-Inspired Seaweed Farm Could Scale Open-Ocean Carbon Sequestration

Origami-inspired Seaweed OAS could scale open-ocean seaweed farming for carbon sequestration. Simulations show 17x growth volume; global mapping finds vast suitable waters.

This news matters because it offers a scalable, low-cost route to expand seaweed aquaculture beyond coastal waters, where current and nutrient limitations have stalled growth. Seaweed farming is a powerful nature-based climate solution, burying carbon at twice the rate of adjacent unfarmed areas, but its open-ocean potential has been largely untapped. The Seaweed OAS could enable cultivation for food, feed, biomaterials, and carbon sequestration without existing offshore infrastructure, potentially sinking carbon-rich biomass to the deep ocean for long-term storage. With global mapping identifying 28.5% of the ocean as suitable, the system could help mitigate climate change while supporting marine industries. However, long-term field trials are needed to verify ecological impacts and carbon persistence, so this breakthrough is a promising step that demands further research.