The Carbon to Sea Initiative, the Kuehne Climate Center, the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) and ClimateWorks Foundation are partnering on a Request for Information (RFI) to inform high-impact grantmaking to evaluate and unlock ocean-based solutions to climate change.

This RFI is designed to seek input from researchers and potential field sites for ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) research and demonstrations. It represents a significant milestone in the journey to build a Global OAE Field Research Network to accelerate the pace of discovery by uniting researchers and organizations into a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem of knowledge exchange and collaboration. In the future, this network will help exchange learnings, prioritize research and development questions, develop emerging global standards & protocols, create more visibility & exposure for findings, and provide access to research funding, technology, and talent. The RFI will be a critical input to this network and inform strategies for future funding. 

“For ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) to meaningfully contribute to global climate change mitigation, we must significantly advance our real world understanding of technological approaches and scientific knowledge of its efficacy, environmental impacts and monitoring techniques. These efforts must be supported through pilots, demonstrations and field trials and robust governance and social engagement processes,” says Carbon to Sea Senior Manager Nick Kleinert.

The collaboration between leading philanthropic climate-science funders will only help accelerate the world’s understanding of these promising technologies and where pockets of expertise, infrastructure, and ambition exist around the world. 

“It is particularly important that we expand the capacity to do this research and implement projects to diverse geographies and environments so we have data on OAE and operational experience in different contexts. This is fundamental to understanding if, where and how OAE can realistically be deployed, and in addition to the science, informing supply chain decisions that are fundamental to scaling like feedstock sourcing, logistics and transport,” says Ingrid Schulte, CDR Lead at the Kuehne Climate Center.

MEOPAR, a Canadian-based ocean climate science funder and another RFI co-sponsor, “believes that mCDR research is highly strategic and potentially game changing for the ocean and planet. Canada, like many other countries, wants to be at the forefront of this new knowledge, and MEOPAR is all about coordination, collaboration, and open science. We hope to identify strategic investments and partnerships at home in Canada and abroad,” says Jamie Snook, Executive Director at MEOPAR.

“ClimateWorks Foundation recognizes that oceans are a vital ally in the fight against climate change. But as carbon dioxide levels increase, oceans that absorb this gas are becoming increasingly acidic,” says Jan Mazurek, Senior Director, Aviation & Carbon Dioxide Removal at ClimateWorks Foundation. “Through Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement, we can accelerate nature’s ability to neutralize acidic water, but rigorous research and evaluation are essential to ensure that these efforts are safe. We are excited to partner with Carbon to Sea and others to gain a better understanding of OAE research readiness.”

This RFI gives the opportunity for both researchers and potential field sites to highlight the traction and vision for their mCDR research or sites. The deadline to submit responses will be Friday, August 15th. Documents and the submission link to upload responses can be found below.