Systems and methods for sequestering carbon dioxide and counteracting acidification of natural water bodies

Abstract

The method includes deploying a payload at a first location in a body of water while the payload is in a first configuration. The payload may travel to a second location in the body of water via a natural water flow and transition from the first configuration to a second configuration during travel from the first location to the second location to facilitate atmospheric carbon sequestration. The method includes quantifying the amount of atmospheric carbon sequestration associated with the payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration. In some implementations, the payload may be a substrate upon which a desired product may be seeded. In some implementations, such a substrate may be formed of a naturally occurring material that may include an alkaline liquid.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 401,959, filed August 29, 2022, entitled "Ocean Based Carbon Removal Systems and Methods of Using the Same," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] background

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and mitigating the resulting impacts, and more specifically to systems and methods for transferring carbon dioxide from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle of natural water bodies and counteracting acidification of such water bodies. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] Due to human activities, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased by approximately 50% (from about 280 ppm to about 420 ppm) over the past 200 to 300 years due to the burning of fossil fuels, land-use change, and other industrial processes. This anthropogenic increase in atmospheric CO2 is contributing to a variety of environmental and societal problems, including global warming, increased forest fires, increased droughts, increased storm severity and frequency, sea level rise, melting glaciers, and ocean acidification.

[0004]

[0004] The global carbon cycle operates through various response and feedback mechanisms between Earth's major carbon reservoirs: the marine and terrestrial biosphere, the atmosphere, the oceans, and sediments / rocks. The Earth's carbon cycle can be divided into two distinct but overlapping components: the fast carbon cycle and the slow carbon cycle. The fast carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon via photosynthesis and respiration and the continuous exchange of CO2 between the biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans. The fast carbon cycle is dynamic and variable and can best be understood as carbon flow through ecosystems. In contrast, the slow carbon cycle consists of carbon movement via gravity, pressure, chemical weathering, ocean currents, etc. These processes move carbon from living organisms and ecosystems to deep geological reservoirs such as sediments, mineral deposits (e.g., oil, gas, coal), and deep water. Slow carbon cycle reservoirs evolve very slowly.

[0005]

[0005] Without human intervention, carbon moves from the slow cycle to the fast cycle over millions of years via volcanic activity driven by subduction and melting of limestone and oil- and gas-bearing rocks, and over intermediate timescales via ocean upwelling. Prior to relatively rapid population growth, the carbon cycle between the atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, and geological reservoirs was generally balanced to promote stable climate, ocean chemistry, and ecosystems in both the fast and slow carbon cycles. Based on activities such as the extraction and burning of carbon-rich resources, humans effectively move more than 30 billion tons of carbon from the slow cycle to the fast cycle each year.

[0006]

[0006] Consequently, one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century is to develop scalable methods for removing CO2 (e.g., fast carbon cycle CO2) from the atmosphere and the upper layers of natural water bodies, and for durably sequestering CO2 (e.g., in or by the slow carbon cycle), for example, in deep water (e.g., the deep ocean), marine sediments, and / or geological deposits. Such efforts to stabilize and reduce atmospheric CO2 and neutralize the acidification of natural water bodies will therefore limit the environmental and humanitarian damage associated with increasing atmospheric CO2. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007]

[0007] Therefore, improved systems and methods are needed to move carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle and neutralize the acidification of water bodies in order to reduce the partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere, increase the pH of seawater, and have a beneficial impact on the Earth. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] overview

[0008] Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for sequestering carbon, rapidly and efficiently transferring that carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle, and counteracting acidification of natural bodies of water. In particular, the methods and systems described herein relate to the use of payloads, such as floating substrates formed from naturally occurring and / or alkaline materials (e.g., alkaline minerals and / or liquids), for carbon sequestration and / or to reduce the acidification of natural bodies of water to further promote carbon sequestration in a net carbon-neutral or carbon-negative process. For example, in some cases, such payloads can be deployed to a predetermined location in a body of water and allowed to be transported (e.g., passively) by natural water currents, where they may sink to deeper waters and / or otherwise decompose, dissolve, disperse, and / or transition to transfer the sequestered carbon to the slow carbon cycle. The payloads described herein can be used as stand-alone components for carbon sequestration purposes (or other stand-alone purposes), can be used in conjunction with the cultivation of marine end products used for carbon sequestration purposes, and / or can be used in combination with or for any other suitable purpose. In some implementations, the payload or portions thereof may enable selective control and / or enhancement of the payload's buoyancy, release of nutrients, promotion of attachment and / or growth of target products (or otherwise accumulation of biomass), sequestration of atmospheric and / or oceanic carbon, albedo of surface seawater to increase reflection of solar radiation and reduce warming of the water body, and / or mitigation of the effects of carbon dioxide-induced acidification (e.g., of the oceans and / or other water bodies) by increasing the alkalinity of the water body, etc.

[0009] In some implementations, a method includes deploying a payload at a first location in a body of water while the payload is in a first configuration. The payload is allowed to travel to a second location in the body of water via a natural water flow and transition from the first configuration to the second configuration during travel from the first location to the second location to promote atmospheric carbon sequestration. The method includes quantifying an amount of atmospheric carbon sequestration associated with the payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration. In some implementations, the payload can be a substrate upon which a desired product can be seeded. In some implementations, such a substrate can be formed of naturally occurring materials that can include alkaline materials (e.g., alkaline minerals and / or alkaline liquids). In some implementations, the payload can be configured to enhance the alkalinity of at least a portion of the body of water, thereby promoting atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration and / or neutralization of acidification in the body of water. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010]

[0010] The above and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: The present disclosure will be described with greater specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, with the understanding that these drawings merely depict some implementations in accordance with the present disclosure and should not be considered limiting of its scope.

[0011] [Figure 1]

[0011] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for sequestering carbon through the fast carbon cycle and transferring the sequestered carbon to the slow carbon cycle using naturally occurring substrates, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2]

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for forming a substrate using naturally occurring materials, sequestering carbon through the fast carbon cycle, and passively transporting the substrate from a first location to a second location in a body of water to transfer the sequestered carbon to the slow carbon cycle, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A]

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device in a first configuration, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device in a second configuration, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4]

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a growing device including a coating formed from an alkaline material, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5]

[0015] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device including a first coating on a first side and a second coating on a second side of a substrate of the device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6]

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a growing device formed from alkaline materials, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7]

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012]

[0018] Reference is made throughout the following detailed description to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like symbols typically refer to like components unless the context dictates otherwise. The exemplary implementations described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other implementations may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are expressly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.

[0013] Detailed Description

[0019] The embodiments and methods described herein relate to reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere and / or enhancing the capacity of natural systems to capture and sequester such atmospheric greenhouse gases. For example, carbon dioxide removal ("CDR"), as described herein, is any activity that transfers carbon from rapidly cycling reservoirs of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, upper ocean, and biosphere (e.g., fast carbon cycle) to storage in slow carbon cycle reservoirs. Carbon removal is additive, persistent, and can be quantified through direct and / or indirect measurements of mass transfer. When combined with the reconstruction and preservation of ecosystems that promote fast cycle carbon uptake, restorative carbon removal can both enhance fast carbon cycle productivity and transfer carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle. However, to be atmospherically significant, carbon sequestration technologies capable of transferring carbon at a multi-gigaton scale are generally desirable.

[0014]

[0020] Water bodies such as the oceans offer potentially powerful natural-based CDR mechanisms. For example, the surface ocean continuously exchanges carbon dioxide with the atmosphere, dissolving approximately 100 gigatonnes ("Gt") of CO2 per year across the air-water interface. In the photic zone (i.e., the region of a water body that receives sufficient sunlight to allow photosynthesis), it also fixes approximately 40 Gt of CO2 through net primary production. While most of this carbon remains in the rapid carbon cycle, the ocean's ability to capture and concentrate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, albeit temporarily, could provide a means for natural-based (e.g., water-based) CDR. Furthermore, the deep ocean is a large carbon sink, permanently retaining approximately 37,000 Gt of CO2 (in dissolved form) away from atmospheric mixing over hundreds to thousands of years. However, natural carbon transfer mechanisms from surface ocean-atmosphere fluxes to deep-ocean reservoirs are relatively limited, resulting in approximately 10 Gt of CO2 sequestration per year. Thus, a "water CDR" or "water-based CDR" (e.g., "ocean CDR" or "ocean-based CDR") as described herein refers to a group of systems, methods, and / or engineering interventions that amplify this carbon transfer from the fast carbon cycle (e.g., at the surface of a body of water such as the ocean) to the slow carbon cycle (e.g., in deep water or at depths such as the deep ocean).

[0015]

[0021] The embodiments and methods described herein generally involve the deployment of a payload configured to perturb the chemistry and / or chemical properties of the surface ocean (or the surface layer of any other body of water) such that the perturbation results in the dissolution of atmospheric carbon into the ocean and / or an amplification of the ocean's transport of carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle. For example, the payload may be configured to increase the yield of photosynthetic biomass in the surface ocean, thus causing chemical perturbation via the uptake and removal of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the water. Another such example is the deployment of a payload that results in the direct addition of dissolved or dissolving alkaline materials to the water, increasing its pH. Both such perturbations can result in commercial-quality carbon sequestration when applied to a target area of ​​the surface ocean.

[0016]

[0022] Examples of marine-based CDR may include, but are not limited to, the cultivation, accumulation, and sequestration of marine and / or terrestrial biomass, chemical weathering of alkaline minerals and / or fluids, and / or the release of alkaline minerals and / or fluids into bodies of water (including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, etc.) to enhance water alkalinity. More specifically, marine species, such as macroalgae, microalgae, herbs, plants, mangroves, biofilms, fungi, crustaceans, plankton, and / or filter feeders (also referred to as "target products," "marine biomass," or "marine mass"), are currently promising carbon sequestration technologies due to their wild growth's contribution to naturally occurring carbon sequestration on the seafloor. In some implementations, increasing and / or improving the cultivation and accumulation of marine biomass can provide additional benefits. Additionally, the cultivation of marine species may have many advantages compared to the cultivation of plants on land. For example, the cultivation of marine biomass typically results in higher productivity and does not require significant use of scarce resources, such as agricultural land, freshwater, and / or additional nutrients. Cultivation of such target products has the potential to significantly improve the amount and / or rate of sequestration due to increased cultivation productivity, increased organic carbon storage, and / or increased residence time of organic and inorganic carbon sinks compared to that resulting from naturally occurring species.

[0017]

[0023] In some implementations, the CDR payload can be a substrate or structure onto which a target product can be seeded before deployment or onto which a wild target product can be attached after deployment. The substrate is configured to be deployed in a body of water, such as the open ocean, and to accumulate biomass until a certain threshold is reached. After accumulating a desired or threshold amount of biomass, the target product is allowed to sink (or be allowed to sink) to the ocean floor, thereby effectively sequestering the amount of carbon dioxide captured by the target product. Sinking can occur with or without the substrate (either partially or entirely). Various embodiments and / or methods associated with such target product cultivation and sequestration and / or substrates or other structures that support or at least partially suspend such target products can include, but are not limited to, any of those described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,382,315, filed June 8, 2021, entitled "Systems and Methods for Cultivation for Target Product" (the "'315 Patent"), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0018]

[0024] In addition to sequestering carbon captured by the target product, it may be desirable to source, form, and / or produce the substrate onto which the target product is seeded or onto which naturally occurring materials (or by-products from other processes) are otherwise bound in a manner that limits carbon emissions associated with production. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, naturally occurring materials can directly sequester CO2 during substrate production, substrate transformation and / or transition, substrate dissolution (e.g., via ocean alkalinization), and / or substrate transport, deposition, and / or burial when / if the substrate is removed from the surface of a body of water, the atmosphere, and / or part of the fast carbon cycle in a coupled surface water-atmosphere system. In some implementations, it may be desirable to cause such natural substrates to sink with the target product, thereby reducing carbon emissions that may be associated with the recovery process of the used substrate. In some cases, as described in more detail herein, the floating characteristics, etc., of the natural substrate used to cultivate the marine target product can be controlled, allowing the substrate to be deployed at a first location and, for example, passively transported to a second location. Various embodiments and / or methods associated with the use of such passive substrates and / or substrates formed from naturally occurring materials may include, for example, any of those described in International Patent Application No. PCT / US2023 / 064917 ("'917 PCT"), filed March 24, 2023, entitled "Floating Substrates for Offshore Cultivation of Target Products and Methods of Making and Using the Same," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0019]

[0025] In some implementations, both naturally occurring and industrially produced carbonaceous and / or alkaline materials (e.g., minerals and / or liquids) can be used to promote and / or enhance carbon sequestration and / or otherwise counteract the acidification of natural water bodies. For example, some embodiments and / or methods described herein can include forming and / or coating at least a portion of a substrate from and / or with carbonaceous and / or alkaline materials and / or including naturally occurring materials such as alkaline minerals and / or liquids to sequester carbon in the deep ocean (or other water body) and / or enhance the alkalinity of the ocean or other water body, thereby improving its ability to sequester carbon. In some implementations, the substrate and / or a coating around at least a portion of the substrate can be configured to decompose and / or dissolve when the substrate is deployed in a body of water, thereby independently capturing and / or sequestering carbon, enhancing alkalinity in the water, improving its ability to sequester carbon or otherwise neutralize acidification, and / or transitioning the substrate from a first configuration having positive buoyancy to a second configuration having negative buoyancy. In some implementations, transitioning the substrate to the second configuration causes sinking of the substrate, either as an independent mode of carbon sequestration or in addition to carbon sequestration associated with the sinking of the amount of target product that accumulated while the substrate was in the first configuration or that was otherwise contained in the first configuration. Various embodiments and / or methods associated with the use of substrates coated with carbonaceous or alkaline minerals or materials may include, for example, any of those described in International Patent Application No. PCT / US2023 / 064919 ("'919 PCT"), filed March 24, 2023, entitled "Floating Substrates Including Carbonaceous Coatings for Offshore Cultivation of Target Products and Methods of Making and Using the Same," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0020]

[0026] In some implementations, the payload may include and / or be at least partially formed by, for example, an alkaline liquid. For example, the substrates described herein may include, or be formed from and / or with, an alkaline liquid. In this regard, some conventional CO2 sequestration methods using alkaline fluids (liquid or gas) include direct injection of alkaline fluids into naturally occurring alkaline rock formations. However, such conventional methods may pose environmental, geological, and / or public health hazards and / or may use significant amounts of energy in industrial weathering processes, making such methods impractical for large-scale carbon sequestration.

[0021]

[0027] In some implementations of the present disclosure, low-energy methods can be utilized to sequester CO2 from Earth's fast carbon cycle (upper ocean and atmosphere) to its slow carbon cycle (deep ocean, marine sediments, rocks, and other upper subsurface reservoirs) using globally abundant, naturally occurring, and / or industrially produced alkaline fluids, such as those found as surface and subsurface fluids, hydrothermal brines, basin brines, oil field brines, subseafloor fluids, evaporite brines, wastewater brines, desalinated brines, and alkaline fluids occurring within alkaline mineral deposits, such as metal silicates (e.g., mafic / ultramafic igneous rocks), limestone, dolomite, and evaporite deposits, among others. Such alkaline fluids can be naturally high in pH, alkalinity, and divalent cation concentrations, making them ideally suited for large-scale CO2 sequestration via enhancing ocean alkalinity, enhancing weathering, liming rivers, and / or otherwise neutralizing the acidification of natural water bodies.

[0022]

[0028] Such naturally occurring alkaline fluids may have high temperatures at the extraction site and therefore may be advantageous when used, for example, in the production of cementitious hydrogels and / or polysaccharide hydrogel aggregated substrates by reducing the heat input required to activate and harden these binders. The characteristically high concentrations of divalent cations and alkalinity of such alkaline fluids may also speed up the activation and / or hardening process of cementitious binders and / or hydrogel binders used in the production of engineered substrates for CO2 sequestration. Various embodiments and / or methods independent of the formation of a substrate and / or associated with the use of alkaline fluids in the formation process of one or more substrates may include, for example, any of those described in International Patent Application No. PCT / US2023 / 071339 ("'339 PCT"), filed July 31, 2023, entitled "Systems and Methods for Sequestering Carbon Dioxide Using Alkaline Fluids," and / or U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 525,326 ("'326 Provisional"), filed July 6, 2023, entitled "Systems and Methods for Producing, Loading, Storing, Transporting, and Deploying Alkaline Materials Via Vessels for Sequestering Carbon Dioxide and Mitigating Acidification of Natural Waters," the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0023]

[0029] In some embodiments, the CDR payload can include an alkaline fluid that can be used to neutralize acids or acidic materials released into a body of water through one or more additional or other processes associated with the CDR payload. For example, the cultivation and settling of biomass (e.g., macroalgae and / or any other biomass) can, in some cases, release small amounts of organic acids into a body of water and / or the atmosphere, for example, through microbial remineralization of particulate organic carbon, leaching of organic acids, and / or the production of dissolved organic carbon. In some implementations, the alkaline fluid included in the CDR payload can be used to capture and / or permanently retain released CO2 in solution through one or more additional or other processes associated with the CDR payload, while neutralizing the release of acidic materials.

[0024]

[0030] Additionally, any of the payloads described herein (e.g., substrates formed using naturally occurring cellulosic, carbonaceous, or other alkaline materials and / or alkaline fluids, with or without a target product seeded or otherwise supported thereby) can be deployed at strategic locations in a body of water to sequester atmospheric carbon and / or increase the alkalinity of the body of water while being passively transported to the deep ocean. The payload can continue to sequester carbon and / or reduce ocean acidity in the deep ocean, and eventually sink to the ocean floor to transfer the sequestered carbon into the slow carbon cycle. The entire life cycle of any of the described payloads, from extraction (e.g., from natural mineral sources or any other source), to fabrication, assembly, transportation, and / or deployment in a body of water, to carbon sequestration and transfer of carbon into the slow carbon cycle, occurs with a net negative carbon footprint, thus resulting in an overall carbon footprint reduction.

[0025]

[0031] Various embodiments and / or methods described herein for sequestering carbon and transferring it from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle include, for example, (1) dissolving at a known rate to control the floating or sinking of a payload, such as a substrate, after a predetermined time; (2) releasing alkaline ions into a body of water, thereby beneficially reducing the acidity of the body of water, as opposed to organic coatings that release acid when dissolved, thereby releasing carbon dioxide; (3) forming a coating on or around a portion of a payload from naturally occurring materials, thereby reducing the introduction of synthetic materials into natural bodies of water (e.g., oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.); (4) maintaining a surface with high free energy (e.g., high binding capacity) and high affinity for cation binding, thereby facilitating the attachment of biological materials, such as a product of interest, via mineral or cation binding; (5) transporting a material through a body of water; (6) inhibiting biological degradation that may remineralize portions of the organic material or substrate as carbon dioxide prior to sinking and / or burial; (7) chemically buffering carbon dioxide released as bicarbonate and / or carbonate ions via biological degradation (e.g., microbial decomposition, heterotrophic decomposition, etc.); (8) having a density sufficient (e.g., greater than 1 g / cc or greater than the density of seawater) to accelerate sinking of the payload, for example, when rapid sinking is desired; (9) allowing for entrapment of nutrients within the crystalline matrix and beneficially providing controlled release of nutrients from other supplemental materials that support biomass growth and / or accumulation, for example, via dissolution of a coating; (10) increasing the albedo of the surface of the water body (e.g., seawater), thus promoting the reflection of solar radiation and mitigating the effects of carbon dioxide-induced warming of the water body via the greenhouse effect; (11) providing Ca in the water body. 2+ and CO3 2-The release of ions may provide one or more benefits, including reducing the impact of carbon dioxide-induced acidification on marine calcifying organisms, (11) promoting atmospheric carbon sequestration by capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere via dry (e.g., land-based) calcification, and / or (12) using commercially available materials to form coatings, substrates, and / or other payloads, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity, supply chain challenges, and costs.

[0026]

[0032] Furthermore, the embodiments and / or methods described herein advantageously reduce the cost and carbon footprint of the deployment process by allowing for deployment of a substrate to a first location in a body of water (e.g., the ocean) and passive transportation to a second location (e.g., deep water). For example, the cost of widely distributing payloads across large, remote geographic regions of the ocean is high. For example, recovery vessels typically must be engineered to withstand open-ocean conditions and carry sufficient fuel for the return voyage, manned vessels carry food and safety materials and risk injury or death, and drones intended for one-way transportation to such regions are costly and may fail before reaching the desired deployment location. In some implementations, any of the embodiments and / or methods described herein may avoid such costs and risks by relying, at least in part, on the natural currents of the body of water. In some embodiments, the payloads described herein may be deployed via vessels (e.g., transport vessels) that are producing, storing, transporting, and / or otherwise moving across the body of water along known routes. Examples of such vessels and / or methods of using such vessels to deploy CDR payloads may include, but are not limited to, those described in the '326 Provisional Application.

[0027]

[0033] In addition to the benefits and / or advantages described above, in some implementations, carbon sequestered (directly or indirectly) via the embodiments and / or methods herein may be quantified, calculated, and / or valued, such that carbon offset credits can be sold. For example, in attempting to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, governments and / or regulatory agencies establish greenhouse gas emission caps and, if compliance is not feasible, ensure that organizations adhere to the emissions caps by purchasing carbon credits and / or offsets. As such, carbon sequestered using the water-based CDRs described herein may be quantified, calculated, and / or valued, and credits tied to and / or otherwise associated with the calculated amount of sequestered carbon may be sold in the carbon credit market (or any other suitable market).

[0028]

[0034] In some implementations, the method includes deploying a payload at a first location in a body of water while the payload is in a first configuration. The payload is transported and / or enabled to travel to a second location in the body of water via a natural water flow and transition from the first configuration to the second configuration during travel from the first location to the second location to facilitate atmospheric carbon sequestration. The method includes quantifying the amount of atmospheric carbon sequestration associated with the payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration. In some implementations, the payload can be a substrate upon which a desired product can be seeded. In some implementations, such a substrate can be formed of a naturally occurring material that can include an alkaline liquid.

[0029]

[0035] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term "element" is intended to mean a single element or a combination of elements, and "material" is intended to mean one or more materials or a combination thereof.

[0030]

[0036] As used herein, the terms "about" and "approximately" generally mean ±10% of the specified value. For example, about 0.5 would include 0.45 and 0.55, about 10 would include 9-11, and about 1000 would include 900-1100.

[0031]

[0037] As used herein, the term "desired product" generally refers to one or more target aquatic and / or marine species. For example, "desired product" may include, but is not limited to, aquatic and / or marine species, such as crustaceans, plankton, archaea, filter feeders (e.g., oysters, clams, etc.), marine bacteria, biofilms, heterokton such as fungi and / or algae (e.g., microalgae, macroalgae, etc.). However, in other implementations, the desired product may refer to any suitable species that, upon cultivation, produces a desired result (e.g., as a harvested product, such as for bioremediation and / or carbon capture and sequestration). In some implementations, the desired products described herein may be cultivated and / or used for bioremediation, eventual cultivation / harvesting, and / or for carbon dioxide sequestration. The desired product may generally include negatively, neutrally, and / or positively buoyant species (e.g., species that sink, remain suspended, or float in water as they grow). Such end products can grow rapidly in bodies of water and reproduce or reproduce by producing gametophytes and / or sporophytes that are capable of sequestering atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis.

[0032]

[0038] The target products described herein may be selected marine species whose natural and / or desired habitat is a body of water. When a body of water is referenced, it is understood that the body of water may be selected based on characteristics that result in a desired outcome (e.g., direct or indirect carbon capture / sequestration and / or facilitating cultivation of a target product that captures carbon dioxide via photosynthesis). As such, while specific bodies of water (e.g., oceans or seas) may be referenced herein, it is understood that the embodiments, examples, and / or implementations so described are not limited to use in such environments unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "seawater" and / or "saltwater" are intended to refer to any body of water whose constituents include a specific concentration of salt. In contrast, "freshwater" may refer to any body of water whose constituents are salt-free or include limited concentrations of salt. Saltwater may refer, for example, to water that forms oceans, seas, bays, embayments, etc. Freshwater may refer, for example, to water that forms rivers, lakes, meteoric water, groundwater, subterranean reservoirs, etc. Additionally, the water bodies described herein may also include certain mixtures of freshwater and seawater (commonly known as "brackish water"), such as the mixture of river water and seawater found in an estuary. For example, the term "marine-based CDR" specifically refers to the ocean, but any of the embodiments, techniques, processes, methods, etc. described herein as being used for marine-based CDR can be utilized with other water bodies (e.g., saltwater bodies, freshwater bodies, and / or brackish water bodies) or other fluids.

[0033]

[0039] It should be noted that the term "exemplary embodiment" as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to suggest that such embodiment is a possible example, representative example, and / or exemplary example of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to imply and / or convey that such embodiment is necessarily a superior or best example). Similarly, when reference is made to a particular embodiment and / or components or aspects thereof, it should be understood that no intention is intended to imply or convey that such embodiment and / or components or aspects thereof are essential or required, unless explicitly stated.

[0034]

[0040] As used herein, terms such as "coupled" mean that two members are directly or indirectly joined to one another. Such joining can be permanent (e.g., permanent) or removable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining can be achieved with two members, or two members and any additional intermediate members, integrally formed with one another as a single unit, or with two members or two members and any additional intermediate members attached to one another.

[0035]

[0041] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method 10 for sequestering atmospheric carbon, according to one embodiment. The method includes, at 12, deploying a payload to a first location in a body of water. The payload may be any suitable device, material, mineral, fluid, structure, etc. configured for ocean-based CDR and / or otherwise associated with a system for ocean-based CDR. For example, the payload may include a material, structure, fluid, etc. configured to interact with a portion of the body of water in which it is deployed to facilitate ocean-based CDR. In some implementations, such interaction may result in and / or otherwise cause the payload to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration, thereby contributing to and / or forming one or more steps in the process of carbon transfer from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle. In some implementations, such interaction may result in and / or otherwise cause the payload to modify one or more properties of the body of water in which it is deployed, thereby enhancing the water's natural ability to transfer carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle. In some implementations, such interactions may have and / or result in any suitable predetermined and / or desired outcome or any suitable combination thereof, which may result in enhancing and / or promoting marine-based CDR.

[0036]

[0042] In some implementations, the payload can be, for example, a substrate that can be at least temporarily buoyant. For example, in some implementations, the method 10 optionally includes, at 14, forming a substrate from a naturally occurring material. In some embodiments, the substrate can include a solid structure having any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangular, oval, polygonal, asymmetric, irregular, and / or any other shape. In some embodiments, the substrate can be a solid block. For example, strands, fibers, sheets, mats, and / or chunks of constituent materials can be compressed into a solid block (e.g., via a mechanical or hydraulic press, a mold, and / or any other suitable process) to form the substrate. In some embodiments, the compression can be performed to provide desired spaces between the strands, fibers, sheets, mats, and / or chunks, resulting in a substrate with desired porosity, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate can be hollow or formed into a hollow block. For example, the substrate may define one or more interior volumes, cavities, receptacles, and / or voids (e.g., to trap or retain air, thereby increasing the buoyancy of the substrate), or may be formed in the shape of a cage or net. The substrate may be positively buoyant, causing the substrate to float on a body of water, e.g., an ocean, sea, river, lake, pond, etc., at least for a particular period of time or under particular environmental conditions. In some embodiments, the substrate may be or become neutrally buoyant or negatively buoyant, as described herein.

[0037]

[0043] In some embodiments, naturally occurring materials can include organic materials that are generally readily available in the natural environment or that are naturally produced as a primary or by-product of farming or other cultivation / harvesting operations. For example, naturally occurring materials can include agricultural waste or residues or forestry waste or residues. In various embodiments, naturally occurring materials can include, but are not limited to, terrestrial biomass (e.g., woody biomass), such as herbs (e.g., switchgrass, wild grasses, genetically modified herbs, etc.), wood chips (e.g., from fallen trees or wood regeneration projects), wood wool fiber, straw fiber, shredded fuel, corn cobs, coconut shells, coconut fiber, hemp, jute, compost, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, cardboard, nanocellulose fiber, paper, etc. In various embodiments, naturally occurring materials can include aquatic (e.g., marine) biomass. In various embodiments, naturally occurring materials can include any suitable combination of terrestrial biomass, any suitable combination of aquatic biomass, or any suitable combination of terrestrial and aquatic biomass.

[0038]

[0044] In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material can be a bio-based material or biodegradable polymer (e.g., a polyhydroxyalkanoate-based aliphatic polyester such as PHA or PHB) produced from natural materials, such as sugars, oils, molasses, coconut oil, palm oil, chitin, mycelium, etc. The naturally occurring material (e.g., biomass, bio-based material, biodegradable polymer, etc.) can be formulated to naturally biodegrade in water (e.g., freshwater, saltwater, brackish water, etc.), for example, via hydrolysis and / or enzymatic digestion, and / or can be otherwise formulated to lose buoyancy over time.

[0039]

[0045] Organic or naturally occurring materials can be formed into a substrate using any suitable process. In some embodiments, a substrate can be formed by arranging naturally occurring materials and / or forming them into one or more tubes, tubular structures, mesh, socks, bags (e.g., bags, pouches, bailers, or any other containers that define an interior volume), overbraids, spiral wraps, wattles, slit socks, and / or ropes (e.g., those used to prevent land erosion or similar to flood barriers), etc. In some embodiments, a substrate can be formed having any number of layers (with or without one or more base layers) formed from, for example, naturally occurring bio-based materials, such as coconut fiber, wood wool fiber, straw fiber, natural twine, compost, bio-based biodegradable plastic perforated fabric, and / or mesh formed into a tubular structure. In some embodiments, naturally occurring organic materials can be formed into planar substrates by stitching, weaving, laminating, or otherwise compressing two or more sheets (e.g., scrim fabrics, perforated sheets, mesh, roving, etc.) to form a substrate (e.g., a flat sheet or mat).

[0040]

[0046] In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material may be mixed with an adhesive or binder before being formed into a block, or the adhesive or binder may be poured or otherwise applied onto the substrate after being formed into a block to allow the substrate to hold its shape. In such embodiments, the adhesive or binder may comprise a biocompatible or otherwise biodegradable adhesive or binder, including, but not limited to, beeswax, gelatin, molasses, tree sap, protein-based polymers, any suitable biodegradable polymer, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the adhesive or binder may include or be supplemented with nutrients, fertilizers, or other additives and / or supplemental materials to promote the growth of the desired product therein.

[0041]

[0047] In some implementations, a substrate formed, fabricated, or assembled into a solid structure from one or more naturally occurring materials can be seeded with one or more desired products. For example, the method 10 can optionally include seeding the substrate with a desired product at 16. In some implementations, the substrate can be seeded with a desired product (e.g., pre-seeded) before deployment. For example, the substrate can be seeded immediately before deployment into a body of water, such that growth of the desired product occurs substantially within the body of water. In other implementations, the seeded desired product can be allowed to grow or germinate for a period of time before deployment into the body of water, with subsequent growth of the seeded desired product occurring within the body of water. Growing the seeded desired product for a period of time before deployment can advantageously allow the desired product to be integrated into the substrate such that dissociation of the seeded desired product from the substrate is inhibited when the substrate is deployed into the body of water. Thus, all or a significant portion of the seeded desired product can remain attached to or incorporated within the substrate after deployment.

[0042]

[0048] The target product (e.g., gametophytes or sporophytes of marine algae, or any other target product or biological component thereof described herein) can be directly or indirectly seeded into the substrate and / or its coating or layer. Seeding can be performed by disposing the target product in or on a material (e.g., a naturally occurring material used to form the substrate) before, during, or after forming the substrate, before or after covering the substrate with a coating, and / or at any other suitable time. In some implementations, seeding can be performed, for example, by immersing the substrate in a volume of liquid (e.g., seawater, salt water, or culture medium) in which the target product is grown or stored, such that a portion of the target product contained in the volume of liquid is trapped in the pores of the substrate and / or coating, thereby forming a seeded substrate. The target product can be mechanically trapped within the substrate, for example, within pores that may be present in the substrate or its coating / layer.

[0043]

[0049] In some embodiments, the substrate and / or its layers / coatings may include binders or other materials to promote adhesion of the target product to the substrate. For example, cationic binders, hydrogels, adhesives, polymers, or other seed binders may be included in the substrate to attract the target product (e.g., sporophyte or gametophyte) toward the substrate and keep the target product in close proximity to the substrate until a strong bond or attachment is formed between the target product and the substrate. Other substances that may be used to enhance adhesion of the target product to the substrate may include, but are not limited to, rheology modifiers, cohesives, and other additives, such as glycerol, molasses, high molecular weight polysaccharides, and other polymeric materials, such as polyethylene oxide.

[0044]

[0050] In some embodiments, the substrate and / or its layers / coatings may include (e.g., be doped or infused with) nutrients, fertilizers, or other additives and / or supplemental materials to promote the growth of a target product therein. For example, a fertilizer formulated to accelerate the growth of a target product species may be sprayed onto one or more portions of the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate may include additives formulated to inhibit contamination of the target product. For example, the substrate may include, be saturated with, or impregnated with a growth substrate material, such as enriched seawater medium, Pasteurized seawater, filtered seawater, or seawater mixed with a buffer solution, such as, but not limited to, a sodium nitrate (NaNO) solution, a potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KHPO) solution, and / or a solution containing germanium dioxide (GeO). In some embodiments, the substrate may be infused with iron particles or co-wound, coiled, and / or entangled with iron or iron-containing threads, filaments, or strings to provide an iron (Fe) nutrient source for the target product.

[0045]

[0051] In some embodiments, one or more portions of the substrate can be inoculated with one or more diazotrophic microorganisms, including unicellular archaeal organisms, bacteria, such as cyanobacteria, Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Frankia, and / or the like (e.g., microbiota), capable of converting molecular nitrogen (N) from the air to ammonia (NH) (e.g., fix nitrogen). As previously described, the substrate can be porous, thereby facilitating the passive release over time of fertilizers, additives, growth promoters, or other substances injected therein to provide continuous input of such substances to the seeded target product and / or to retain such substances in close proximity to the target product. Various embodiments of the target product and substrate containing the target product can include, and / or be similar to or substantially the same as, any of the target products and / or substrates described in the '315 patent and / or the '917 PCT.

[0046]

[0052] In some embodiments, the substrate may additionally or alternatively comprise or be formed at least in part of naturally occurring alkaline salts and / or fluids and the like. For example, alkaline minerals, compounds, salts, etc. may include, but are not limited to, limestone (calcium carbonate (CaCO3)), dolomite or dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate (CaMg(CO3)2)), magnesite (magnesium carbonate (MgCO3)), lime (calcium oxide (CaO)), hydrated lime or hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)), brucite (magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2)), magnesium oxide (MgO), various forms of lye (KOH, NaOH), pumice (for buoyancy), alkaline mafic / ultramafic metal silicate minerals and / or rocks (for sequestering CO2 via ocean alkalinization and / or for buoyancy), naturally occurring carbonates and other salts, air or other compressed gases (for porosity, permeability, and / or buoyancy), any other suitable organic and / or inorganic products, waste products, and / or any combination thereof.

[0047]

[0053] In some embodiments, alkaline coatings such as various forms of alkaline solutions (KOH, NaOH) may impart antimicrobial, antibacterial, and / or antifungal properties that may serve to sterilize the biomass or other materials forming or contained within the buoy, preventing or limiting the potential of the biomass or other such materials introducing pests or other contaminants into areas where the biomass is transported, processed, and / or deployed, in some cases thereby satisfying import / export regulations of importing and / or exporting countries or other controlling or regulatory bodies.

[0048]

[0054] In some embodiments, the alkaline material may include carbonaceous and / or other alkaline materials, such as carbonate fractions (also referred to herein as "aggregates"), which may be used, for example, to promote dissolution of the substrate, provide carbon dioxide (CO) sequestration via alkalinization, and / or provide ballast for the substrate. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material may include CaCO (e.g., crushed limestone), CaMg(CO) (e.g., crushed dolomite), and / or MgCO (e.g., magnesite). In some embodiments, the naturally occurring materials forming the substrate or at least a layer / coating thereof may also include silicate fractions, such as pumice and / or other low-density vesicular rocks (e.g., mafic rocks, ultramafic rocks and / or minerals), to enhance the buoyancy of at least a portion of the substrate. In some embodiments, the naturally occurring or industrially produced materials forming the substrate or at least a portion of the layer / coating thereof may also be mixed with a surfactant foam to create an aerated final material.

[0049]

[0055] In some embodiments, the naturally occurring alkaline material may include a metal oxide fraction, such as, for example, iron oxide (FeO) and / or other iron (Fe)- or manganese (Mn)-containing oxides (e.g., for buoyancy adjustment, ballast, and / or substrate orientation control when included on one side of the substrate). In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material may include one or more organic or inorganic binders, for example, to hold the material together and / or adhere it to the substrate. Suitable binders may include, but are not limited to, carbonate binders (e.g., CaO, Ca(OH), etc.), MgO, Mg(OH), and / or other cementitious or organic binders, such as organic resins, polysaccharide gels, proteinaceous binders, adhesives, any other suitable organic binder, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material may include an accelerator to increase or decrease the rate of hydration and / or mineralization of the alkaline material.

[0050]

[0056] In some embodiments, the method 10 may optionally include, at 18, coating at least a portion of the substrate with a carbonaceous and / or other alkaline coating. For example, any of the above-mentioned alkaline and / or carbonaceous materials, minerals, salts, etc. may be used to form part of the substrate or as a coating applied over the substrate, and these may be formed from naturally occurring materials, synthetic materials, and / or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating may include one or more additives and / or supplemental materials, such as nutrients, e.g., nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and / or major / minor / trace elements in proportions that support photosynthesis and vegetative growth of the target marine product. In some embodiments, the coating may include a catalyst, e.g., freshwater, seawater, subsurface brine, or surface brine. In some embodiments, the catalyst may not be included in the coating and may instead be provided by a body of water (e.g., seawater).

[0051]

[0057] In some embodiments, the elemental ratios of the coating may be configured and / or selected to match those of the environment (e.g., at or around a deployment site, a target site, etc.) to avoid disturbing potentially delicate elemental ratios present in that environment when they are released. For example, the coating may include and / or be blended with MgC0 and CaC0 or Mg(OH) and Ca(OH) in a 5:1 molar ratio to substantially match the Mg:Ca molar ratio in seawater, which is known to control the Mg content and polymorphs of CaC0 precipitated both biotically and abiotically (e.g., a seawater molar ratio of Mg:Ca<2 may favor the precipitation of the low-Mg calcite polymorph of CaC0, while a seawater molar ratio of Mg:Ca>2 may favor the precipitation of the aragonite and high-Mg calcite polymorphs of CaC0).

[0052]

[0058] The coating can be applied to the substrate using any suitable method. For example, the aggregate, binder, and additives can be mixed with water, seawater, and / or brine and used to coat floating and / or submerged substrates deployed in marine and natural water bodies. In some embodiments, the coating can be applied to the substrate by placing the substrate in a cage that is suspended from a circulating cable (e.g., a ski chairlift cable) and passed through or immersed in a vessel containing a mixture of coating materials (e.g., a slurry, suspension, etc.). In some embodiments, the cage can comprise polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (e.g., TEFLON™ or TEFLON™-coated) cages that can move through a vessel at a rate of about 40 cages / hour to about 60 cages / hour, inclusive, to provide a production target within a range of about 200 tons / hour to about 600 tons / hour, inclusive. In some embodiments, the cages can be transported through an oven (e.g., an oven tunnel) between coating applications to cure the coating. In some embodiments, the substrate may be disposed on a conveyor system (e.g., a wall-mounted conveyor system) and moved through a container of coating, or the coating may be sprayed or otherwise deposited on the substrate as the conveyor moves. In some embodiments, the conveyor may also move through an oven to cure the coating, as described herein. In some embodiments, the conveyor may have a width of about 6 meters and a depth of about 0.5 meters, inclusive, and may be configured to move at a speed of about 10 cm / sec to about 20 cm / sec, inclusive, to provide a throughput of, for example, 200 tons / hour to about 600 tons / hour, inclusive. As such, any of the substrates described herein may be formed from, include, or be coated with alkaline salts and / or carbonaceous materials, including any of the materials and / or coatings described in the '919 PCT.

[0053]

[0059] While the coated or uncoated substrates are described above as being seeded (e.g., prior to or during deployment, actively, directly, indirectly, or otherwise pre-seeded), in other implementations, the coated or uncoated substrates can be deployed into a body of water without being seeded. In such implementations, the coated substrates can be configured to attract and retain naturally occurring target products (or biological components thereof) in the body of water. Furthermore, in some such implementations, the coated substrates can be configured to include and / or release substances, binders, nutrients, fertilizers, additives, growth promoters, etc., which can thereby attract and / or retain naturally occurring target products (or biological components thereof) in the body of water into which the substrate is deployed, thereby allowing natural or passive seeding of the substrate. In some implementations, the coated substrates can be pre-seeded and configured to attract and / or retain naturally occurring target products (or biological components thereof) in the body of water into which the substrate is deployed.

[0054]

[0060] In some embodiments, the payload can be and / or include an alkaline fluid. Such alkaline fluid can react with dissolved carbon in water (e.g., ocean water) and / or atmospheric CO2 to sequester carbon. In some implementations, the payload can be a container or reservoir that at least temporarily stores the alkaline fluid and is configured to selectively release the alkaline fluid over time. In some implementations, the payload can be an alkaline fluid frozen into a solid form. In some implementations, the payload can be a substrate or coating formed at least in part using the alkaline fluid.

[0055]

[0061] Any of the alkaline fluids used as payloads, substrates, coatings, binders, etc. described herein may be derived from natural or industrial reactions of water with alkaline minerals (e.g., metal silicates, carbonates, evaporites), which are globally abundant and form 45% of the Earth's continental crust (covering 30% of the Earth's surface) and nearly 100% of the subsurface (i.e., below the upper sedimentary layer) oceanic crust (covering 70% of the Earth's surface).

[0056]

[0062] In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid may comprise a metal silicate solution. Metal silicates include igneous rocks, including those classified as felsic (e.g., granite, rhyolite, etc.), intermediate (e.g., diorite, andesite, etc.), mafic (e.g., gabbro, basalt, etc.), and ultramafic (e.g., peridotite, komatiite, etc.) rocks. Metal silicates generally react with water and seawater to provide alkalinity and divalent cations (e.g., Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Fe 2+ ), which generate aqueous bicarbonate ions (HCO3 - ) and carbonate ions (CO3 2- ) as well as solid carbonate minerals (CaCO3, MgCO3, CaMgCO3, FeCO3, etc.). For example, one mineral involved in the production of alkaline waters that participates in reactions with metal silicates has the chemical formula (Mg 2+ , Fe 2+ olivine, a magnesium-iron silicate with a SiO₄ content of 2SiO₄. Olivine content, and therefore the metal silicates and CO₂ sequestration capacity of the igneous rocks in which it is found, increases towards the ultramafic end of the igneous class spectrum (i.e., olivine content and CO₂ sequestration capacity increase in the following order: felsic, intermediate, mafic, ultramafic).

[0057]

[0063] In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid may include a silicate-based alkaline solution, a carbonate-based alkaline solution, or an evaporite-based alkaline solution. Some examples of ideal metal silicate carbonation reactions that result in silicate-based alkaline solutions or fluids (e.g., water) suitable for CO2 sequestration and / or neutralizing the acidification of a body of water may include, but are not limited to: Mg2SiO4+2CO2+2H2O→2MgCO3+H4SiO4 (magnesium silicate) CaSiO3 + CO2 + 2H2O → CaCO3 + H4SiO4 (calcium silicate) Fe2SiO4+2CO2+2H2O→2FeCO3+H4SiO4 (iron silicate) Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 + 3CO2 + 2H2O → 3MgCO3 + 2H4SiO4 (hydrated magnesium silicate) Na x (Ca, Mg, Fe) y Si3AlO8+(x+2y+3)H + +(4+y)H2O+yCO2→xNa + +y(Ca,Mg,Fe)CO3+3H4SiO4+2y(H + ) (plagioclase group silicates)

[0058]

[0064] Some examples of carbonate mineral dissolution reactions that produce alkaline fluids (e.g., water) suitable for CO2 sequestration are as follows: CaCO3 → Ca 2+ +CO3 2- (limestone) MgCa(CO3)2 → Mg 2+ +Ca 2+ +2CO3 2- (dolostone) MgCO3 → Mg 2+ +CO3 2- (Hibakudo stone) Na2CO3→Na 2+ +CO3 2- (soda ash)

[0059]

[0065] CO3 liberated from these carbonate dissolution reactions 2- The ions form free H via the following reaction:+ (proton) is taken up. CO3 2- +H + →HCO3 -

[0060]

[0066] Some examples of metal oxide mineral dissolution reactions that produce alkaline fluids (e.g., water) suitable for CO2 sequestration are as follows: MgO+H2O→Mg 2+ +2OH - (magnesia) CaO+H2O→Ca 2+ +2OH - (slaked lime)

[0061]

[0067] Some examples of metal hydroxide mineral dissolution reactions that produce alkaline fluids (e.g., water) suitable for CO2 sequestration are as follows: Mg(OH)2 → Mg 2+ +2OH - (Bruce Stone) Ca(OH)2 → Ca 2+ +2OH - (slaked lime)

[0062]

[0068] Some examples of alkaline mineral dissolution reactions that produce alkaline fluids (e.g., water) suitable for CO2 sequestration are as follows: NaOH → Na + +OH - (caustic soda) KOH → K + +OH - (caustic potash)

[0063]

[0069] The OH released from this reaction - The ions form free H via the following reaction: + (protons) can be incorporated. OH - +H + →H2O

[0064]

[0070] Thus, these dissolution reactions, by decreasing free H+ (increasing pH and acting to reverse acidification) and increasing the alkalinity of surface waters (e.g., by ocean alkalinization or alkalinity enhancement), shift the following carbonate equilibrium to the right, resulting in a net transfer of atmospheric CO2 to aquatic CO2 via Henry's law, re-establishing carbonate equilibrium. CO 2(ガス) →H2O+CO 2(aq) →↓H + +HCO3 - →↓2H + +CO3 2-

[0065]

[0071] Underwater HCO3 - and CO3 2- Ions can be stable in natural aqueous systems such as lakes, ponds, rivers, seas, and oceans, and can remain stable for hundreds to thousands of years.

[0066]

[0072] In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid included in the substrate described herein can be obtained, sourced, or extracted from natural sources or systems, such as surface water, shallow subsurface water, hydrothermal brines, deep subsurface water, oil field brines, subseafloor brines, evaporite brines, etc. Surface water includes any alkaline water found on the surface of land or ocean, including alkaline lakes, rivers, cold springs, hot springs, and alkaline freshwater lenses that float on the surface of the ocean due to their relative low density. Shallow subsurface water includes groundwater found in the upper part of the continental crust. Hydrothermal brines include brines formed through the reaction of water, seawater, or brines with alkaline hot rocks and / or magma. Deep subsurface water includes basin brines, which are brines trapped in ancient basins (geosynclines) now surrounded by land and potentially buried deep beneath sediment and rock. Oilfield brines include brines coexisting with oil and gas deposits, in some cases extracted and isolated via drilling into the earth and extracting the oil and gas from there. Subseafloor brines originate from reactions with seawater that has infiltrated the oceanic crust and include brines that have reacted with alkaline basalts in the upper layers of the oceanic crust and highly alkaline ultramafic sediments in the deeper layers of the oceanic crust. Evaporite brines include brines produced from the partial evaporation of meteoric water, seawater, or other natural waters in landlocked or marginal ocean basins and the resulting ionic concentrates.

[0067]

[0073] It should be recognized that the above references to obtaining or sourcing alkaline fluids are for illustrative purposes only, and that alkaline fluids obtained from other natural sources may be used for marine-based CDRs and / or as at least part of the payload in forming the substrates and / or coatings described herein, and it should be understood that all such implementations are contemplated and within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068]

[0074] Examples of alkaline mineral deposits that receive alkaline groundwater and brines include metal silicates (e.g., mafic / ultramafic igneous rocks), carbonates (e.g., limestone, dolomite, magnesite), and evaporite deposits (e.g., brucite). Alkaline solutions can also be extracted from these various natural systems via conventional well drilling, recirculation, and / or surface collection methods.

[0069]

[0075] In some embodiments, forming the substrate at 14 can include forming the substrate using an alkaline fluid in liquid form as at least a portion of the substrate. In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid can be contained in, incorporated into, or formed into a solid substrate. For example, the alkaline fluid can be disposed within a substrate including a floating solid substrate (coated or uncoated) as described above and / or in, for example, the '315 patent, the '917 PCT, and / or the '919 PCT.

[0070]

[0076] In some embodiments, alkaline fluids can be used in the construction of the floating solid substrate itself. For example, alkaline fluids can be incorporated into, absorbed into, and / or impregnated into materials used to form the substrate (e.g., a buoy). In such embodiments, the gradual dissolution or dissolution of the buoy in the ocean or other body of water can release alkalinity associated with the alkaline fluid, even if such alkaline fluids precipitate as alkaline minerals throughout the buoy's construction process. In some embodiments, the buoy can be formed by partially bonding to and / or partially constructing from cementitious materials (e.g., similar to the construction of many ocean buoys), and alkaline fluids can be used to activate the cementitious reactions that bind the buoy together. Thus, alkaline fluids can be incorporated into cementitious binders such that the binders act as reservoirs for alkaline salts contained in the alkaline fluid. The alkalinity stored in the cementitious binders can then be released as such substrates dissolve, effectively transporting alkalinity from naturally alkaline waters to the ocean or other aqueous environments for the purpose of CO2 sequestration via alkalinization.

[0071]

[0077] In some embodiments, forming a solid substrate can involve using an alkaline fluid as a source of hydration for polysaccharide binders used in constructing substrates from naturally occurring organic materials (e.g., psyllium or rice husks), resulting in hydrogels and / or mineralized hydrogels. Under such conditions, hydrogel formation can essentially stabilize and immobilize the alkaline fluid until the hydrogel binder dissolves or decomposes at the intended site of alkalinity release for CO2 sequestration purposes. Such naturally occurring alkaline fluids can also have high temperatures at the extraction site, and thus can be advantageous when used, for example, in the production of cementitious hydrogels and / or polysaccharide hydrogel-aggregated substrates, by reducing the heat input required to activate and / or cure these binders. Their characteristically high concentrations of divalent cations and alkalinity can also speed the activation and / or curing process of cementitious binders and / or hydrogel binders used in the production of engineered substrates for CO2 sequestration, among other mechanical and chemical binders.

[0072]

[0078] In some embodiments, forming the substrate can include incorporating an alkaline liquid into at least one solid or semi-solid structure. For example, an alkaline fluid can be used to form a solid substrate by freezing the alkaline fluid into a solid block or other solid structure. In some embodiments, such a frozen solid structure can be formed simply by freezing one or more alkaline fluids into the solid substrate. In some embodiments, naturally occurring organic material (e.g., husks, hemp, wood chips, straw, or any other organic or bio-based naturally occurring material described herein) can be suspended in or otherwise mixed with an alkaline fluid, and the mixture, suspension, or slurry can subsequently be frozen to form a solid substrate comprising the alkaline fluid and the naturally occurring organic material suspended therein.

[0073]

[0079] In some embodiments, forming the substrate can include incorporating an alkaline fluid into a porous solid substrate. For example, the alkaline fluid can be absorbed by the woody biomass and then retained in the pore spaces of the floating biomass, either in liquid or subsequently precipitated solid form, and ultimately released into the body of water via leaching and / or dissolution as the woody biomass becomes suspended, and / or transported and / or released to a desired location.

[0074]

[0080] In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid can be frozen onshore as described herein to form a solid substrate and then stored in a freezer on a transport vessel for delivery to a desired location. In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid can be frozen on board a transport vessel using an onboard freezer to form a solid substrate. In some embodiments, the alkaline fluid can be delivered to cold regions of the world (e.g., the Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, Greenland Sea, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Weddell Sea, Ross Sea, Baltic Sea, or any other cold water body) and the naturally cold environmental temperatures of such regions can be used to freeze the alkaline fluid and form the substrate. In some embodiments, a substrate including the frozen substrate can be used as a floating substrate in cold oceans where the average air and / or water temperatures are slightly above freezing. The alkaline fluid can naturally melt over time (e.g., slower than, faster than, or on the same timeline as the dissolution of natural / carbonate buoys), thereby releasing the alkaline fluid into the ocean.

[0075]

[0081] As such, alkaline fluids may be used as the payload, or at least part of the payload, for marine-based CDRs, as detailed in the '339 PCT and / or '326 PCT provisional publications.

[0076]

[0082] Continuing with reference to FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the method 10 may optionally include, at 20, assembling a plurality of substrates (e.g., a plurality of solid substrates) into a substrate assembly. For example, 10, 100, or even 1,000 solid substrates, semi-solid substrates, or solid substrates filled with or containing alkaline fluid may be bonded, joined, or assembled together to form a substrate assembly. In some embodiments, a plurality of substrates may be aggregated or otherwise bonded to one another as described herein (e.g., via a coating disposed on the substrate, bonded with a naturally occurring organic material, a binder, etc.) to form an aggregate or array of substrates (e.g., seeded and / or coated substrates and / or alkaline fluid-containing substrates) deployed together in a body of water. Such an assembly, aggregate, or array may be formed by coiling, chaining (e.g., via twine, rope, or chain), stacking, or bonding together in any suitable arrangement to form an aggregate. The aggregate may advantageously have greater mechanical strength than individually seeded substrates. Furthermore, forming agglomerates may advantageously at least partially protect adjacent seeded substrates contained in the agglomerates from the action of waves, currents, and wind, thereby preventing the removal, erosion, and / or breakage of the seeded target product, fertilizer, nutrients, additives, or binder from the seeded substrate. In some embodiments, a carbonaceous coating may be used to form agglomerates of coated substrates. For example, a CaCO3-based coating may be used not only to coat individual substrates but also to agglomerate them into larger composite masses of substrate and coating. Such agglomerations are useful, for example, when larger float sizes are desired to serve as larger, more buoyant, and / or longer floating substrates to support the growth of larger and / or longer-lived target products. Such interlocking substrates may also be used to create large, dense agglomerates of substrate and coating material that rapidly sink from the surface water body to the bottom of the water body (e.g., the seabed).

[0077]

[0083] While the method 10 is described above as optionally including assembling multiple substrates into a substrate assembly, such a process may be performed with any suitable payload for a marine-based CDR and is not limited to assembling substrates specifically. For example, any number of payloads may be assembled in any suitable structure, etc., which may at least temporarily maintain the payloads in a relatively compact or connected assembly. In some implementations, such an assembly, structure, etc. may be configured to release the payload over a desired time period or in response to meeting a desired criterion. Such criterion may be, for example, melting and / or disintegration of one or more portions of the assembly; destruction of one or more portions of the assembly as a result of heavy seas, waves, or currents; destruction of one or more portions of the assembly as a result of mechanical damage from a passing ship, marine vessel, large marine animal, etc.; and / or exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light.

[0078]

[0084] As described above with reference to step 12, the method 10 includes deploying the payload described above to a first location in a body of water (e.g., an ocean, sea, river, pond, lake, stream, or any other body of water from which a substrate can be moved to a second location). In some embodiments, the first location may include at least one of a shoreline, a dock, a pier, an offshore platform, an offshore location, a manned vessel, or an unmanned vessel. In some embodiments, deploying the payload may include independently deploying multiple payloads in the body of water. In some embodiments, deploying the payload may include assembling multiple payloads into a payload assembly (e.g., a substrate assembly having any number of solid substrates at least temporarily joined together) and deploying the payloads to the first location in the body of water. The payloads may be deployed to the first location using any suitable means, method, mechanism, etc. In some embodiments, for example, the substrates may be deployed from a shoreline, a dock, a pier, an offshore platform (e.g., an oil rig), a manned vessel (e.g., a ship, a cargo ship, a steamboat, etc.), or an unmanned vessel (e.g., a drone). In some embodiments in which an unmanned vessel is used, such a vessel may be a recovery vessel or a sacrificial vessel. For example, the vessel may be formed from or include a biodegradable material so that once such an unmanned vessel delivers or deploys a payload at a first location, the unmanned vessel may eventually sink to the bottom of the body of water and not need to be recovered.

[0079]

[0085] Any of the payloads described herein may be in a first configuration when deployed in the first configuration. For example, in embodiments where the payload is a substrate (e.g., a solid substrate comprising naturally occurring organic material seeded with a product of interest, including a carbonaceous material or coating and / or an alkaline fluid), the buoyancy of the substrate in the first configuration may be greater than a threshold buoyancy that causes such substrate to float, as described herein. In other embodiments, the density of the substrate in the first configuration may be less than the average density of the water in which the substrate is deployed, thereby causing the substrate to float near, at, or on the surface of the water. In some embodiments where the substrate includes a carbonaceous material or an alkaline fluid, the carbonaceous material or alkaline salts contained in the alkaline fluid may be substantially unreacted in the first configuration (e.g., have not yet neutralized protons present in the body of water). For example, the substrate may be configured to dissolve, disintegrate, or sink after a specified time.

[0080]

[0086] In some embodiments, the substrate may be deployed to the first location using automated rigging or just-in-time assembly. In some embodiments, storage and / or deployment of the substrate or substrate assembly may be compacted or containerized such that deployment may be contracted to occur from a third-party vessel (e.g., a transport vessel already traversing the region of the ocean where the first location is located).

[0081]

[0087] In some embodiments, the methods described herein can include transporting and / or assembling a large number of payloads sufficient to capture and sequester atmospherically significant amounts of CO. For example, the methods described herein can include transporting and / or assembling a large number of substrates sufficient to grow and / or accumulate an atmospherically significant and / or relevant amount of target product biomass for carbon capture applications, and / or a sufficiently large quantity of carbonaceous coated or solid substrates containing alkaline fluid to neutralize ocean acidity and sequester carbon. In such embodiments, the deployment system used to deploy the substrates at a first location can include one or more high-density modules, components, and / or stacks that enable the storage, transport, and / or deployment of a large number of substrates within a small and / or limited footprint (e.g., small occupied area, volume, and / or weight). For example, in some embodiments, the deployment system may be configured to transport, store, assemble, and / or deploy at least about 100,000 substrates, at least about 200,000 substrates, at least about 400,000 substrates, at least about 800,000 substrates, at least about 1,000,000 substrates, at least about 1,500,000 substrates, at least about 2,000,000 substrates, at least about 2,500,000 substrates, at least about 3,000,000 substrates, or more (including all values ​​and ranges therebetween). In some embodiments, the deployment systems described herein as being used for marine-based CDR may be similar and / or substantially the same as any of the deployment systems (including portions or combinations thereof) described in International Patent Application No. PCT / US2023 / 061782 ("'782 PCT"), filed February 1, 2023, entitled "Systems, Devices, and Methods for Rapid and Scalable Deployment of Marine-Based Cultivation Apparatus," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0082]

[0088] In some implementations, the CDR payloads described herein can be deployed from a vessel. The vessel can be any suitable floating vessel, watercraft, boat, ship, raft, etc. that can operate in or on a body of water. In some implementations, the vessel can be a cargo ship, tanker, and / or other commercial-scale vessel, and can be manned or unmanned. The vessel can house, store, and / or contain one or more components of the deployment system, including storage components, long lines, cultivation components, and / or assembly components. The vessel can be configured to transport one or more components of the payload to and from a loading location (e.g., a transport dock and / or port where components of the system can be loaded and unloaded) and one or more designated locations (e.g., a first location) for deployment of the substrate, as further described herein.

[0083]

[0089] The vessel may be controlled (e.g., via human input, semi-autonomously or autonomously) to locate and / or position the vessel near, adjacent to, and / or parallel to one or more suitable locations for loading and unloading cargo, such as a shipping dock, port, wharf, pier, pier, and / or similar location where loading and / or unloading of a CDR payload or a component or portion thereof occurs. In some embodiments, the vessel may include one or more areas configured to deploy a payload (e.g., a payload including a substrate seeded with a desired product, carbonaceous and / or alkaline material, and / or coated with or otherwise including an alkaline fluid) to a first location. Additionally, the vessel may include any suitable storage system, cultivation system, assembly system, deployment system, and / or any other suitable system configured to store, prepare, assemble, seed, and / or deploy substrates and / or other payloads into a body of water.

[0084]

[0090] In some embodiments, deploying the payload includes delivering the alkaline fluid in liquid form to the first location in the body of water. In some embodiments, deploying the payload includes delivering the alkaline fluid in liquid form to the first location in the body of water. For example, any of the alkaline fluids described herein can be deployed to the first location in the body of water using any suitable means, method, or mechanism, such as a buoy, a transport vessel, a barge (e.g., a flexible barge), a spring, a pipeline, a waterway, or a conduit, any other suitable means, method, and / or mechanism, or any suitable combination thereof. Examples of such transportation or deployment systems or methods are described in detail in the '339 PCT and / or the '326 Provisional, both of which are incorporated by reference above. In some implementations, using an alkaline fluid may increase the efficiency of transporting alkalinity to a desired location for CO2 sequestration compared to transporting it in a solid state by maintaining it in a fluid state, thereby allowing for transport by efficient methods, such as a buoy, a transport vessel, a flexible barge, a spring, a pipeline, a waterway, or a conduit.

[0085]

[0091] Referring back to FIG. 1 , the method 10 also includes, at 22, transitioning the payload from the first configuration to the second configuration during movement from the first location to the second location to facilitate sequestration of atmospheric carbon while allowing the payload to be transported by and / or otherwise moved via natural currents to the second location in the body of water. In some embodiments, the second location can be deep ocean, where the payload (e.g., any of the solid substrates or alkaline fluids described herein) is passively transported and / or carried under natural currents, transferring sequestered carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle. In some embodiments, the buoyancy of the payload can also be adjusted or changed as it transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration, as described herein.

[0086]

[0092] In some embodiments, the first location (e.g., shore, dock, pier, offshore platform, offshore location, manned vessel, unmanned vessel, or any other suitable location) may be selected based at least in part on an estimated travel time for the payload to passively reach the second location under natural water currents. For example, the first location may be selected based at least in part on an estimated travel time and predicted trajectory of the payload through a body of water from the first location to the second location. In some embodiments, the first location may additionally or alternatively be selected based at least in part on at least one of the estimated travel time, predicted trajectory, and environmental conditions, ocean chemistry, fish or marine mammal migration areas, or vessel traffic along the predicted trajectory.

[0087]

[0093] In some embodiments, the first location may be selected using one or more machine learning models configured to perform geospatial modeling, numerical modeling, and / or models of the predicted spatial evolution or direction of the payload under the influence of ocean currents, wind, tidal strength, and in some implementations, using satellite imagery or in situ ocean circulation data measured via sensors integrated into the payload (e.g., GPS sensors, pressure sensors, wind flow sensors, temperature sensors, any other suitable sensors, or combinations thereof, included in the buoy, substrate, and / or cultivation equipment) to estimate travel time and / or predicted trajectory from the first location to the second location, thereby selecting the first location accordingly.

[0088]

[0094] For example, the second location may be a destination location in a body of water having a predetermined and / or desired set of characteristics, and the first location may be selected (e.g., using a machine learning model and / or any other model or computational tool) for the CDR payload to move from the first location to the second location. For example, the predetermined and / or desired characteristics of the second location may include an upper temperature limit, an upwelling region / zone, a subsidence region / zone, and / or a predicted efficiency and / or effectiveness of the CDR payload to sequester CO2 and / or neutralize acidification of the water body, etc. In some implementations, determining the destination location (e.g., the desired second location) and therefore the corresponding deployment location (e.g., the desired first location) associated with the water body may be based on collected and / or historical data, environmental conditions, deployment methods, and / or any other suitable data. In some implementations, one or more machine learning models or the like may be trained and executed to analyze such data and provide a predicted output associated with the first location, the second location, and / or the trajectory of the CDR payload moving therebetween. For example, any of the embodiments and / or methods described herein may use and / or implement models and / or algorithms similar or substantially the same as any of those described in the '339 PCT and / or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 957,681, filed September 30, 2022, entitled "Systems and Methods for Quantifying and / or Verifying Target Product Accumulation for Greenhouse Gas Sequestration" (the "'681 Application"), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0089]

[0095] In some embodiments, the buoyancy of the payload (e.g., substrate) in the first configuration can be above a threshold buoyancy, and the buoyancy of the payload (e.g., substrate) in the second configuration can be below the threshold buoyancy. For example, the payload can include a naturally occurring product as described herein, can include a target product, and can be or include a solid substrate that is positively buoyant, i.e., floats in water, as described above. In contrast, a target product grown on a substrate can be naturally negatively buoyant (i.e., sinks in water) or can become more negatively buoyant as the target product matures. Thus, the buoyancy of the payload is based on the buoyancy of the substrate and the buoyancy of the target product incorporated therein. In the first configuration, the target product, which may or may not be partially grown prior to deployment in water, can have a first biomass that has a first magnitude of negative buoyancy that is less than the first magnitude of positive buoyancy of the substrate. Thus, in the first configuration, when initially deployed, the payload (e.g., substrate and grown biomass) collectively have a positive buoyancy such that the substrate floats on the body of water.

[0090]

[0096] Over a period of time, the target product accumulates biomass as it grows, capturing, absorbing, and / or sequestering atmospheric CO2. The accumulation of biomass therefore increases the magnitude of the negative buoyancy associated with the target product. Furthermore, water may accumulate within the porous substrate, reducing the positive buoyancy of the substrate. Upon accumulation of a threshold biomass amount of the target product, the threshold amount of biomass may have a second magnitude of negative buoyancy greater than the first magnitude of positive buoyancy of the substrate, such that the substrate has a buoyancy less than the threshold buoyancy based at least in part on the magnitude of the negative buoyancy associated with the threshold amount of biomass accumulation. Thus, in the second configuration, the substrate may sink below the surface carbon cycle (e.g., to the bottom of the water body), thereby capturing and / or sequestering captured carbon within the water body and / or sediment (e.g., below the surface carbon cycle). Because the substrate comprises naturally occurring materials and the desired product comprises naturally occurring organisms, the substrate may have a negligible impact on the environment (e.g., the marine environment) and, in some cases, may improve the environment by providing a source of nutrition for animals and organisms that may live at the bottom or bottom of a body of water.

[0091]

[0097] In some embodiments, a substrate can transition from a first configuration to a second configuration through the removal or degradation of at least a portion of the substrate. For example, naturally occurring products contained in and / or forming at least a portion of the substrate (or one or more base layers, their binders, coatings, etc.) can be naturally biodegradable (e.g., via hydrolysis and / or enzymatic digestion by organisms that may naturally exist in water), degradable due to exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and / or soluble in water (e.g., via the incorporation of water-soluble calcium carbonate or other cementitious products). The degradation of the substrate or portions thereof can occur over a period of time, causing a decrease in the positive buoyancy of the substrate, while the negative buoyancy of the target product seeded therein increases with growth until the buoyancy of the substrate decreases below a threshold buoyancy, causing and / or otherwise allowing the seeded substrate to sink into the body of water.

[0092]

[0098] In some embodiments, the substrate may be hollow (e.g., containing or defining a void or internal cavity therein), and a stopper, plug, or cap may seal the internal volume / cavity from the external environment. The stopper, plug, or cap may be configured to degrade over time, for example, via hydrolysis, chemical dissolution, dissolution, UV radiation, and / or galvanic corrosion, to allow water to enter the internal cavity, thereby causing a decrease in the buoyancy of the substrate below the threshold buoyancy, as described above. It should be appreciated that any of the substrates described herein may be configured to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration using any combination of the transition mechanisms described herein in connection with method 10.

[0093]

[0099] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the substrate (or other payload) may be coated with a carbonaceous and / or alkaline material, as described previously herein. In such embodiments, the coating may be configured to cause a transition of the substrate (or other payload) from a first configuration to a second configuration. Furthermore, the first volume of the coating in the first configuration may be greater than the second volume of the coating in the second configuration. The coating may be formulated to dissolve in the body of water and neutralize acidification of the body of water and / or sequester carbon from the atmosphere or surface waters as it causes a transition of the substrate from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0094]

[0100] For example, in a first configuration, the coating may have sufficient positive buoyancy to make the substrate positively buoyant and float the substrate. In a second configuration, as described herein, the buoyancy of the coating may decrease, e.g., to make the substrate negatively buoyant and sink as it grows, e.g., to sequester the desired product and / or carbon captured by the coating. In some embodiments, the coating may have a first volume in the first configuration that is greater than the second volume of the coating in the second configuration. For example, the coating may dissolve or disintegrate in the body of water over a period of time, thereby losing volume and reducing the buoyancy of the substrate until the substrate sinks into the body of water. In some embodiments, the coating may also be formulated to sequester carbon from the atmosphere as it transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0095]

[0101] Additionally, the composition and / or thickness of the coating can control the buoyancy and therefore the float time of the substrate (e.g., ranging from rapid sinking to floating for years). In some embodiments, the coating can be formulated to extend the float time of the substrate, for example, by adjusting the composition and / or thickness of the coating and / or substrate to delay water uptake into the buoyant substrate. The coating can gradually dissolve, causing a loss of the buoyant fraction of the aggregate, allowing water to diffuse into the substrate, and ultimately causing the substrate to sink, for example, after the coating has sufficiently dissolved or disintegrated in the water body. In some cases, increasing the float time of the substrate can promote the deposition and growth of a desired product on the substrate, which will sequester CO2 via photosynthesis and transport it to the bottom of the water body (e.g., seabed, ocean floor, etc.) when the coating has partially or completely dissolved. For example, a partially or completely dissolved coating can allow water to enter the floating substrate, resulting in the sinking of the combined mass (e.g., substrate and desired product).

[0096]

[0102] The coating may remain on the substrate at the time of sinking, thereby inhibiting biological degradation of the substrate and / or reducing the release (e.g., via remineralization) of CO2 previously sequestered in the substrate as organic carbon. In some embodiments, to reduce floatation time and accelerate sinking, the composition and / or thickness of the coating may be optimized to render the coated substrate negatively buoyant, causing the substrate to sink when deployed in a body of water (e.g., the ocean or other natural or man-made body of water).

[0097]

[0103] In some embodiments in which the substrate comprises a frozen alkaline fluid, the alkaline fluid may be positively buoyant in solid form, as previously described, and the alkaline fluid mixes with the body of water as it melts, reducing its alkalinity. Similarly, when the alkaline fluid is deployed in a body of water in liquid form, the alkaline fluid may mix with the water while being transported and / or conveyed by or under natural water currents to a second location, as previously described in the '339 PCT and / or '326 PCT.

[0098]

[0104] In some embodiments where the substrate or substrate assembly comprises a solid substrate, the substrate or substrate assembly may include data collection sensors and communication devices (e.g., GPS transponders, walkie-talkies, transponders, etc.) that can enable data collection and transmission by the substrate or its assembly. Such sensors are used, for example, for economic data collection (e.g., vessel traffic), environmental data collection, or defense detection. In some embodiments, the substrate or substrate assembly may be commercialized. For example, the substrate or substrate assembly may be commercialized directly by the deployer of the substrate or substrate assembly through the sequestration of carbon and / or the increase in alkalinity of a body of water (e.g., the ocean) and the sale of carbon credits commercialized as a service (e.g., a third party pays the deployer to deploy the substrate or substrate assembly and sells carbon credits) and / or as a contract (e.g., a third party pays the deployer to deploy the substrate or substrate assembly including marine fertilization material to serve as feedstock for local fish populations for fish stock restoration).

[0099]

[0105] In some implementations, the operations and / or steps of the method 10, from forming the substrate to the substrate transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration, can have a net negative carbon footprint. In other words, the amount of carbon sequestered by the substrate can substantially exceed the amount of carbon released during the formation and deployment of the substrate, such that the sum of the carbon footprints of all processes of the method 10 can have a negative carbon footprint.

[0100]

[0106] Further additionally, in some embodiments where the substrate is seeded with a desired product, forming the substrate, seeding the substrate, and deploying the substrate have a combined first positive carbon footprint, transitioning the substrate from the first configuration to the second configuration has a second negative carbon footprint, and the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint is a net negative carbon footprint. In some embodiments where the substrate is coated with a carbonaceous coating, forming the substrate, coating the substrate, and deploying the substrate have a combined first positive carbon footprint, transitioning the substrate from the first configuration to the second configuration has a second negative carbon footprint, and the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint is a net negative carbon footprint.

[0101]

[0107] In some embodiments in which a substrate is coated with a carbonaceous coating and seeded with a desired product, forming the substrate, coating the substrate, seeding the substrate, and deploying the substrate have a combined first positive carbon footprint, transitioning the substrate from the first configuration to the second configuration has a second negative carbon footprint, and the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint has a net negative carbon footprint. In some embodiments in which the substrate comprises an alkaline fluid, the process of forming or extracting the alkaline fluid and deploying the alkaline fluid to a first location may have a first positive carbon footprint, and transitioning the alkaline fluid from the first configuration to the second configuration (e.g., mixing with ocean water to reduce alkalinity and sequester carbon) may have a second negative carbon footprint, and the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint is a net negative carbon footprint. Thus, any of the substrates described herein can be used in the present method 10 to have a net negative carbon footprint, ultimately resulting in an overall carbon footprint reduction through the transition of carbon from the slow carbon cycle to the fast carbon cycle in a process that has a net negative carbon footprint.

[0102]

[0108] Referring back to FIG. 1 , the method 10 further includes, at 24, quantifying the amount of atmospheric carbon sequestered. For example, the amount of atmospheric carbon sequestered may be based at least in part on the transport of the payload, the release, decomposition, and / or dissolution of at least a portion of the payload, the transition of the payload from a first configuration to a second configuration, and / or the sinking of at least a portion of the payload with or without an amount of accumulated biomass, etc. In some implementations, the carbon sequestered via the marine-based CDR embodiments and / or methods herein may be quantified, calculated, and / or assessed, with credits tied to and / or otherwise associated with the calculated amount of sequestered carbon, such as for sale of carbon offset credits in the carbon credit market (or any other suitable market). In some implementations, the quantification, verification, and / or calculation of the amount of biomass accumulation and / or the amount of carbon captured by the payload (with or without an accumulated product) may be performed using, for example, any of the systems and / or methods described in detail in the '315 patent and / or the '681 application.

[0103]

[0109] 2 is a schematic block diagram of a system 100 for water-based (e.g., marine-based) CDR, according to one embodiment. The system 100 can be deployed in a body of water W and configured to extract, generate, manufacture, and / or otherwise provide one or more payloads 110 configured to capture carbon from the fast carbon cycle to sequester the carbon by transferring it to the slow carbon cycle, where the payloads can be passively transported from a first location L1 to a second location L2 in the body of water W.

[0104]

[0110] As shown in FIG. 2 , the system 100 includes a naturally occurring material source 102 from which naturally occurring material can be obtained and used to generate and / or form at least a portion of the payload 110. In some implementations, the naturally occurring material source 102 can be an organic material source that is readily available in the natural environment or that is naturally produced as a primary or by-product of farming or other cultivation / harvesting operations. In such embodiments, the naturally occurring material can be used to form any number of substrates that can, for example, independently form the payload 110 or that can be seeded or impregnated with a desired product that can be cultivated to grow or accumulate biomass. For example, the naturally occurring material can include agricultural or forestry waste. In various embodiments, naturally occurring materials can include, but are not limited to, biomass (e.g., woody biomass), such as herbs (e.g., switchgrass, wildflowers, genetically modified herbs, etc.), wood chips (e.g., from felled trees or wood regeneration projects), logs, tree bark, forest residues (wood chips, twigs, needles, leaves, cones, seeds, nuts), wood wool fiber, straw fiber, crushed fuel, corn cobs, coconut shells, coconut fiber, hemp, jute, compost, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, cardboard or nanocellulose fiber, paper, etc. In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material can be a bio-based material or a biodegradable polymer (e.g., a polyhydroxyalkanoate-based aliphatic polyester such as PHA or PHB) produced from natural materials, such as sugars, oils, molasses, coconut oil, palm oil, chitin, mycelium, etc. Naturally occurring materials (e.g., biomass, bio-based materials, biodegradable polymers, etc.) may be formulated to naturally biodegrade in water (e.g., freshwater, saltwater, brackish water, etc.), for example, via hydrolysis and / or enzymatic digestion, and / or may be otherwise formulated to lose buoyancy over time. In such embodiments, the naturally occurring material source 102 may include a farm, a paper recycling facility, a sawmill, a compost or turf waste collection business, a logging operation, a manufacturing plant, or any other source from which the naturally occurring materials described above or in connection with method 10 can be obtained.

[0105]

[0111] In some implementations, the naturally occurring material source 102 may be a carbonaceous material source and / or alkaline material, etc., that may be included in or coated on a substrate to form the payload 110, or that may form the payload 110 independent of the substrate. In such implementations, the naturally occurring material source 102 may include, but is not limited to, CaCO, CaMg(CO), MgCO, CaO, Ca(OH), Mg(OH), MgO, KOH, NaOH, and / or alkaline, mafic / ultramafic metal silicate minerals and / or rocks, organic and / or inorganic products or waste products or any others, and / or any other carbonaceous and / or alkaline material sources described above with reference to method 10, and / or any combination thereof. Such naturally occurring materials may be configured to sequester CO2 via ocean alkalinization, neutralize ocean acidification to enhance the ocean's ability to sequester CO2, and / or provide buoyancy to the payload 110 (e.g., substrate), at least temporarily, etc. In some implementations, the naturally occurring material source 102 may also be a material source that includes a siliceous fraction, such as pumice and / or other low-density vesicular rocks (e.g., mafic rocks, ultramafic rocks and / or minerals) that enhance the buoyancy of the substrate coating and / or payload 110.

[0106]

[0112] In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material source 102 may be a source of alkaline material that can be mixed with a surfactant foam to create an aerated final material. In some embodiments, the naturally occurring alkaline material may include, for example, a metal oxide fraction, such as iron oxide (FeO) and / or other iron (Fe) or manganese (Mn)-containing oxides (e.g., for buoyancy adjustment, ballast, and / or substrate orientation control when included on one side of a substrate). In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material may include one or more organic or inorganic binders, for example, to adhere the carbonaceous material to the substrate and hold it together. Suitable binders may include, but are not limited to, carbonate binders (e.g., CaO, Ca(OH), etc.), MgO, Mg(OH), and / or other cementitious or organic binders, such as organic resins, polysaccharide gels, proteinaceous binders, adhesives, any other suitable organic binders, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material may include an accelerator to increase or decrease the rate of hydration and / or mineralization of the alkaline material. In any of the above-described embodiments including carbonaceous and / or alkaline materials, the naturally occurring material source 102 may include mines, seashells, crustaceans, corals, rocks, carbonaceous salt recycling, or any other source of carbonaceous material.

[0107]

[0113] In some embodiments, the naturally occurring material source 102 can be an alkaline fluid source, such as calcite, chrysolite, dolomite, hydromagnesite, icaite, magnesite, monohydrate calcite, nesquehonite, sodium carbonate, thermonatrite, anorthite, diopside, forsterite, jennisite, larnite, rankinite, tobermorite, wollastonite, brucite, lime, periclase, portlandite, CAH10, C2AH8, C3AH6, CAH13, C2FH8, C3FH6, C4FH13, tricarbaluminate, anorthite, forsterite, gehlenite, larnite, merwinite, rankinite, any other suitable alkaline mineral and / or fluid aqueous solution, or combinations thereof, as described in detail in connection with the present method 10. In such embodiments, the naturally occurring source 102 of material may include surface water, shallow subsurface water, hydrothermal brine, deep subsurface water, oil field brine, evaporite brine, or any other source described in connection with the present method 10, and may be extracted using conventional well drilling, recirculation, surface collection, solution mining, mining of mafic or ultramafic rocks using supercritical CO, CO-containing fluids, or air, or any other suitable extraction method described in the '339 PCT.

[0108]

[0114] The system 100 also includes a payload assembly site 105 for assembling one or more payloads 110 (e.g., from naturally occurring materials obtained from the naturally occurring material source 102). For example, in some embodiments, the payload 110 may be a substrate that can include and / or be formed of a naturally occurring material (e.g., any of the organic and / or biodegradable materials described herein). In such embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 may include an apparatus or machine for forming or manufacturing the substrate into a solid or porous block having any suitable shape (e.g., having a square, rectangular, round, oval, triangular, polygonal, asymmetrical, or any other suitable shape or combination thereof). In some embodiments, the solid or porous substrate can be formed into or disposed within a tube, a tubular structure, a mesh, a sock, a bag, a pouch, a bailer, and / or any other container-like structure that defines an interior volume. In some embodiments, the solid or porous substrate may include and / or be formed into an overbraid, spiral wrap, wattle, slit sock, rope (e.g., that used to prevent land erosion or similar to flood barriers), sheet (e.g., single or multi-layer), mesh, and / or roving, etc., or combinations thereof, as previously described herein. Additionally, the payload assembly site 105 may include, without limitation, conveyor belts (e.g., for transporting naturally occurring materials), bailers, compressors (e.g., mechanical or hydraulic compressors), molds, knitting equipment, sewing equipment, gas pressure fillers (e.g., air compressors), mixers (e.g., for mixing binders with naturally occurring materials), heaters (e.g., for thermoplastic processing), boilers, and / or any other suitable equipment or machinery or combinations thereof for shaping naturally occurring materials into substrates having desired structures.

[0109]

[0115] In some embodiments in which the substrate comprises a carbonaceous and / or alkaline material or coating, the carbonaceous and / or alkaline material may be incorporated into the solid or porous structure forming the substrate (e.g., entrapped in a naturally occurring material during the substrate's manufacturing process, or impregnated or embedded in the substrate), or coated onto at least a portion of the substrate, as described herein. In such embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 may include carbonaceous and / or alkaline material handling equipment, including, but not limited to, conveyors, mixers (e.g., for mixing the binder and carbonaceous material), heaters, boilers, coating equipment (e.g., spray coaters or dip coaters), or any other suitable equipment for coating or incorporating carbonaceous material into a substrate having an otherwise solid structure.

[0110]

[0116] In some embodiments, a target product (e.g., any of the target products described herein) may be incorporated into, embedded in, and / or directly seeded into the substrate or a portion thereof. In such embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 may additionally or alternatively include a target product cultivation or growing device, such as a hatchery, culture pool or pond, lighting, storage (e.g., for storing fertilizer, culture media, and / or nutrients), heater, temperature sensor, or any other device or machine for cultivating or growing the target product and / or facilitating the incorporation of the target product into the substrate, or a combination thereof. Examples of such hatcheries or devices may be similar or substantially the same as any of the embodiments or concepts described in detail in the '782 PCT and / or International Patent Application No. PCT / US2021 / 054952, filed October 14, 2021, entitled "Systems and Methods for the Hatching, Seeding, and / or Cultivating of a Target Product" ("'952 PCT"), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties. In some embodiments, such hatchery and / or equipment may be included in and / or part of a vessel (e.g., a transport vessel), etc., as described in the '782 PCT, the '339 PCT, and / or the '326 PCT.

[0111]

[0117] In some embodiments, the payload 110 (with or without a substrate) may include an alkaline material (e.g., an alkaline mineral or fluid, such as any described herein) intended to be in communication with the body of water W. For example, in some implementations, the substrate may include an alkaline material in liquid form that is released into the body of water W, as previously described herein. In some implementations, the alkaline material (e.g., alkaline liquid) is released into the body of water W independently of or in association with the substrate (which may, but is not necessarily, an integral part of). In such implementations, the payload assembly site 105 may include conduits (e.g., pipes, tubing, hoses, etc.), mixers, storage vessels, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, controllers, pumps, valves, fillers, any other suitable devices, or combinations thereof, configured to receive or transport the alkaline fluid, for example, to effect transfer of the alkaline fluid to the first location L1 (e.g., to fill a storage compartment of a manned, unmanned, or autonomous vessel or a buoy with the alkaline fluid). In some embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 can be configured to form the alkaline fluid into a frozen solid substrate. In such embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 additionally or alternatively includes a freezer, mold, mixer, caster, or other suitable equipment, or combination thereof, for forming the alkaline fluid into a frozen substrate (e.g., a solid block frozen alkaline fluid or incorporated in frozen form with naturally occurring materials, as previously described).

[0112]

[0118] In some embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 may allow any number of individual payloads 110 to be assembled into a payload assembly 106. For example, multiple payloads 110 (e.g., including naturally occurring materials, biodegradable materials, carbonaceous materials, target products, alkaline minerals, alkaline fluids, and / or frozen alkaline fluids), etc., may be coupled, connected, linked, and / or otherwise assembled together to form a raft or other floating assembly (e.g., payload assembly 106) that may be deployed to the first location L1. In some embodiments, the payload assembly site 105 may include ropes, chains, hooks, stackers, lifts, forklifts, bailers, or any other suitable equipment configured to couple, connect, or link multiple payloads (e.g., substrates) to form the payload assembly 106. The payload assemblies 106 may be coupled together to be arranged in a horizontal array, a vertical array, a rectangular array, a circular array, an array of any other suitable shape or size, or a combination thereof.

[0113]

[0119] 2 , the system 100 may also include a transportation system 160 configured to transport the payload 110 and / or a payload assembly 106 including multiple payloads to a first location L1 and deploy the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 in the body of water W. In some embodiments, the transportation system 120 may include a vessel (e.g., a large cargo ship, a tanker, and / or other commercial-scale vessel, which may be unmanned or manned), a drone, a float vessel, a watercraft, a boat, a ship, a raft, an aircraft, etc. configured to transport and deploy the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 to the first location L1. Such a vessel may tow the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 or include a storage compartment for holding and transporting the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 to the first location L1, as described previously herein in connection with the method 10. In some embodiments in which payload 110 comprises an alkaline fluid, transportation system 120 may include a buoy, a transport vessel, a ballast tank, a barge (e.g., a flexible barge), a well, a pipeline, a waterway or pipe, or any other suitable means, method, or mechanism for transporting alkaline fluid to first location L1, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, payload assembly site 105, or at least a portion thereof, may be disposed in or realized on transportation system 120 (e.g., a transport vessel, etc.).

[0114]

[0120] The first location L1 is located in the body of water W (e.g., a lake, river, sea, ocean, etc.) and may include at least one of a coast, a dock, a pier, an offshore platform, an offshore location, a manned vessel, or an unmanned vessel. The first location L1 is selected based at least in part on an estimated travel time of the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 to passively (e.g., carried by natural water currents) under natural water currents to reach the second location L2 in the body of water W, as described above. In some embodiments, the first location L1 may be selected based at least in part on an estimated travel time and a predicted trajectory of the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 through the body of water from the first location to the second location. In some embodiments, the first location L1 may be selected based at least in part on at least one of the estimated travel time, the predicted trajectory, and environmental conditions, ocean chemistry, fish or marine mammal migration areas, or vessel traffic that the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 is expected to encounter along the predicted trajectory. In some embodiments, one or more machine learning models and / or other computational tools may be used to determine and / or predict the first location L1 and / or the second location L2, as described above. In such embodiments, the machine learning models and / or other computational tools may be similar and / or substantially the same as any of those described in the '339 PCT and / or '681 applications.

[0115]

[0121] The payload 110 is configured to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration during travel from the first position L1 to the second position L2. In some implementations, the transition of the payload 110 may adjust or reduce the buoyancy of the payload 110 and sequester atmospheric CO2 (e.g., by increasing the alkalinity of the body of water W and / or absorbing atmospheric carbon as described above). Thus, the payload 110 sequesteres CO2 and transfers CO2 from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle, for example, by increasing the alkalinity of the body of water W or by sinking to the second position L2 at the bottom of the body of water W. In some embodiments, the second position L2 may be deep sea, where the payload 110 (e.g., the substrate and / or alkaline fluid with or without a product of interest described herein) is passively transported and / or carried by or under natural water currents, and the captured carbon is transferred from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle.

[0116]

[0122] The net carbon footprint of the system 100 can be negative such that more CO2 is sequestered by the system 100 than is released into the atmosphere by a series of steps in the marine-based CDR process and / or method. For example, the naturally occurring material source 102 (including the generation of the naturally occurring material and transportation to the payload assembly site 105), the payload assembly site 105 (including receiving the naturally occurring material and manufacturing or assembling the material into the payload 110), and the transportation system 120 (including storing and transporting the payload 110 or payload assembly 106 to the first location L1) have a first carbon footprint. Furthermore, as payload 110 passively displaces, disperses, and / or moves under natural water currents from first location L1 to second location L2, payload 110 transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration with a second negative carbon footprint (e.g., sequestering CO2, causing payload 110 to sink at or adjacent second location L2 due to reduced buoyancy, and / or dissolving or mixing into the body of water W to increase its alkalinity and / or neutralize acidification), resulting in a net negative carbon footprint, whereby the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint is a net negative carbon footprint.

[0117]

[0123] To further illustrate, obtaining naturally occurring materials from the naturally occurring material source 102 may involve mechanical and / or transportation equipment that emits CO or other greenhouse gases, contributing to a first portion of the first positive carbon footprint, as described above. Manufacturing the naturally occurring materials into the payload 110 may emit CO or other greenhouse gases, for example, due to transportation of the equipment and / or materials, burning fossil fuels, using grid-powered equipment, and / or generating waste materials or gases, and thus contributes to a second portion of the first positive carbon footprint. Similarly, the payload assembly site 105 contributes to a third portion of the first positive carbon footprint. The transportation system 120 may contribute to a fourth portion of the first positive carbon footprint, for example, due to the transport vessel burning fossil fuels to transport and deploy the payload 110 to the first location L1, and the transport vessel transporting and loading the payload 110.

[0118]

[0124] Thus, the sum of the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion provides or results in a positive carbon footprint. However, the negative carbon footprint resulting from the use of the payload 110 in transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration and capturing / sequestering carbon is net negative by an order of magnitude substantially greater than the positive carbon footprint portion of the marine-based CDR process (e.g., by at least 1.5 times, at least 2.0 times, at least 2.5 times, at least 3.0 times, at least 3.5 times, at least 4.0 times, at least 4.5 times, at least 5.0 times, at least 6.0 times, at least 7.0 times, at least 8.0 times, at least 9.0 times, at least 10.0 times, inclusive), such that the sum of the first positive carbon footprint and the second negative carbon footprint is a net negative carbon footprint. In this manner, the present system 100 has a net negative impact on the overall carbon footprint, e.g., by transitioning carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle, thereby reducing atmospheric carbon levels.

[0119]

[0125] In some embodiments, the system 100 may include one or more devices, components, systems, etc. configured to collect data associated with the payload 110 (or payload assembly 106), which may be analyzed and / or processed via any suitable computing device, system, etc. In some embodiments, the system 100 may be configured such that one or more sensor devices or buoys are deployed with the payload, as described in International Patent Application No. PCT / US2022 / 079746 ("'746 PCT"), filed November 11, 2022, entitled "Systems and Methods for Monitoring Accumulation of a Target Product," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As such, the devices and / or sensor buoys, etc. may include and / or be coupled to devices configured to sense, detect, and / or monitor any suitable portion and / or characteristic of the payload 110. For example, in embodiments in which payload 110 is a substrate for growing a target product, such a device or sensor buoy may be configured to sense, detect, and / or monitor target product growth, biomass generation, biomass yield, environmental characteristics or data, and / or any other data associated with the deployment of one or more substrates. More specifically, such devices or sensor buoys may include, but are not limited to, one or more sensors, cameras (e.g., underwater cameras, fluorometers and / or other imaging or optical detection technologies), tracking devices (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices and / or radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, etc.), remote sensing devices, telemetry devices, communication devices and / or any other suitable devices, such as any of those described in the '315 patent, the '681 application and / or International Patent Application No. PCT / US2022 / 079746 ("'746 PCT"), filed November 11, 2022, entitled "Systems and Methods for Monitoring Accumulation of a Target Product," the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0120]

[0126] In some implementations including such devices, such as a sensor buoy deployed with a substrate, collected data associated with the sensor buoy or any number of substrates that are subject to integration, analysis, calculation, processing, etc., may enable determination, estimation, and / or prediction of, for example, past or present target product growth or growth rate, biomass production, biomass yield, sinking rate, location of deployment, dispersion of deployment, environmental conditions in the area corresponding to deployment, estimated travel distance or estimated travel time to a second location, and / or any other desired information associated with the substrate and / or number of substrates. Further, in some implementations, such information may be used as described in detail in the '315 patent and / or the '681 application and / or otherwise inform one or more predictions and / or quantifications associated with the rate, amount, and / or capacity of carbon capture and / or sequestration, etc. For example, in some implementations, the system 100 may be configured to execute one or more machine learning models, algorithms, and / or processes that may be used to predict and / or quantify the amount of carbon sequestered by the substrate and the target product grown on or by the substrate. In some implementations, the system 100 can execute a series of machine learning models that can be used (e.g., collectively or sequentially, with the output of one model provided as input to another) to integrate data from multiple sources and correlate the data to provide a calculation, quantification, and / or prediction of the amount of CO sequestered by the substrate and the target product grown on or by the substrate.

[0121]

[0127] In some implementations, the amount of CO removed via alkalinity enhancement may be quantified and / or verified via measurement and / or prediction of the change in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the water body before and after alkalinity enhancement, and / or by the change in the total alkalinity of the water body before and after deployment. In some implementations, such measurement and / or prediction (e.g., via one or more machine learning models and / or other computational tools) may include the use of one or more efficiency factors that describe and / or are associated with the increase in dissolved inorganic carbon per unit increase in total alkalinity (e.g., such that the efficiency factor does not exceed 1). If the total volume of the alkalinized portion of the water body is known, the total CO removed via alkalinity enhancement may be calculated by multiplying the change in measured DIC concentration (for a given water sample) by the total volume (or predicted, estimated, and / or calculated total volume) of the alkalinized portion of the water body. If the volume of the alkalinized portion of the water body is unknown (e.g., an open system), but the amount of total alkalinity added to the water body is known, the quantification of CO2 removal and any additional, other and / or auxiliary processes can be determined by the amount of any known elements (e.g., Ca) in (or added to) the alkaline material. 2+ , Mg 2+ , Sr 2+ , Li + , Zn 2+ etc.) and / or the corresponding isotopes (e.g., Ca 45 , Mg 24 , Sr 86 , Li 7 , Zn 67This may involve the use of conservative chemical tracers, including concentrations and / or ratios of any of elements and / or isotopes (or combinations thereof) that, when dissolved, exhibit known stoichiometric and / or empirical relationships to alkalinity within alkaline materials and / or to other relevant components of aqueous carbonate systems (e.g., total alkalinity in solution, dissolved inorganic carbon). In some implementations, a tracer-based approach may allow for quantification of relevant and / or relevant processes involved in alkalinity-enhanced CO2 removal even when the total volume of water involved in the process is unknown (e.g., as long as the total amount of alkaline material deployed is known). In some implementations, such tracer-based approaches for quantifying chemical processes associated with alkalinity-enhanced CO2 removal of aqueous systems may be similar and / or substantially the same as those described in the '339 PCT.

[0122]

[0128] 3A-7 illustrate various embodiments of substrates that may be used as cultivation equipment for sequestering carbon and that sequester carbon as they transition from a first configuration to a second configuration. For example, according to one embodiment, FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of cultivation equipment 200 deployed over a body of water W in a first configuration, and FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of cultivation equipment 200 in a second configuration that is different from the first configuration.

[0123]

[0129] Cultivation equipment 200 includes a substrate 210 inoculated with a target product 230 (e.g., any one of the target products described herein). Substrate 210 includes a naturally occurring material (e.g., any of the naturally occurring materials described herein) formed into a porous block inoculated with target product 230. The naturally occurring material may be formed into a block by pressing the naturally occurring material into a block through the application of mechanical or hydraulic force or via a thermoplastic process. Substrate 210 may include fertilizers, additives, growth promoters, or other substances infused therein, as previously described, and may include a binder or adhesive.

[0124]

[0130] The substrate 210 or an assembly of multiple substrates 210 may be configured to be deployed in a first position (e.g., position L1) in the body of water in a first configuration. In the first configuration shown in FIG. 3A , the cultivation equipment 200 has a first magnitude of buoyancy based on the combined buoyancy of the substrate 210 and the target product 230. As previously described, the substrate 210 may be positively buoyant, and the target product 230 may be negatively buoyant, or may become negatively buoyant as the target product 230 matures. However, in the first configuration, the relatively small biomass of the target product 230 is such that the magnitude of the negative buoyancy of the target product 230 is less than the magnitude of the positive buoyancy of the substrate 210. Thus, the cultivation equipment 200 has a buoyancy greater than a threshold buoyancy, causing the cultivation equipment 200 to float on the body of water W in the first configuration.

[0125]

[0131] As the target product 230 grows within the substrate 210, it absorbs, captures, and / or sequesters carbon while accumulating biomass. Once a threshold amount of biomass has accumulated, the cultivation equipment 200 transitions to the second configuration, and the negative buoyancy of the target product 230 overcomes the positive buoyancy of the substrate 210, causing the buoyancy of the cultivation equipment 200 to become less than the threshold buoyancy. This causes the cultivation equipment 200 to sink below the surface of the water body W, as shown in FIG. 3B , thereby capturing the target product within the water body W (e.g., below the surface carbon cycle), sequestering the carbon captured or absorbed by the target product from the atmosphere and adding to the sequestered CO2 through the formation, conversion, and / or dissolution of the substrate and / or its coating, binder, etc. Furthermore, the cultivation equipment 200 can be passively moved under natural water currents from a first location in the water body to a second location, such as deep ocean (e.g., second location L2), thereby transferring the sequestered carbon from the fast carbon cycle to the slow carbon cycle.

[0126]

[0132] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device 300 deployed in a body of water W for growing a target product 330 (e.g., any of the target products described herein) and sequestering carbon, according to one embodiment. The cultivation device 300 includes a substrate 310 and a coating 320 formed from a carbonaceous material disposed on or around the substrate 310. In some embodiments, the substrate 310 can be formed from a naturally occurring material, such as any of the naturally occurring materials described herein in connection with FIG. 1 . The coating 320 is disposed around the substrate 310. In some embodiments, the coating 320 includes CaCO 3 . In some embodiments, the coating 320 can include an aggregate fraction, a siliceous fraction, a metal fraction, a binder, an accelerator, an additive, a catalyst, and / or any other material as previously described herein. While the target product 330 is shown as being seeded onto the substrate 310, in some embodiments, the target product 330 can additionally or alternatively be seeded onto the coating 320. Additionally, coating 320 can be infused into the product and / or coat target product 330 (e.g., to promote adhesion of target product 330 and / or provide nutrients and / or other supplemental materials to target product 330). While shown as being a rectangular block, in other embodiments, substrate 310 can have any suitable shape, such as square, oval, circular, polygonal, asymmetric, irregular, etc. Coating 320 can be configured to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration to adjust the buoyancy of the seeded substrate and / or sequester carbon, as described previously herein.

[0127]

[0133] 5 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device 400 according to one embodiment. The cultivation device 400 includes a substrate 410 seeded with a target product 430 (e.g., any of the target products described herein) and suspended in a body of water W. Unlike the cultivation device 300, the cultivation device 400 includes a first coating 420a disposed on a first side of the substrate 410 and a second coating 420b disposed on a second side of the substrate 410, which may be opposite the first side. The first coating 420a and the second coating 420b may be formed from similar or different materials, such as any of the materials described herein in connection with FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the first coating 420a may have a first density greater than a second density of the second coating 420b. The higher density of the first coating 420a may cause the orientation of the cultivation device 400 such that, at least when the cultivation device 400 is initially deployed in the body of water, the first coating 420a (higher density) is below the surface of the body of water W, while the second coating 420b (lower density) is above the surface of the body of water W. Thus, the first coating 420a and the second coating 420b may cause the cultivation device 400 to be oriented in a preferred orientation in the body of water W.

[0128]

[0134] 6 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation apparatus 500 according to one embodiment. The cultivation apparatus 500 includes a substrate 510 having a target product 530 embedded therein and floating on a body of water W. However, unlike substrates 310 and 410, the substrate 510 is formed from a carbonaceous material (e.g., any of the carbonaceous materials described herein) rather than simply having a coating formed from a carbonaceous material. In some embodiments, the target product 530 may sequester carbon as it grows, as described above. In some embodiments, the substrate 510 may also be configured to sequester carbon (e.g., in addition to carbon sequestration by the target product 530), as described above. In some embodiments, the target product 530 may be rejected (e.g., formed from a frozen alkaline fluid) such that carbon sequestration and / or mitigation is provided by the substrate 510.

[0129]

[0135] 7 is a schematic diagram of a cultivation device 600 according to one embodiment. In some implementations, the cultivation device 600 can be used to cultivate one or more target products, such as one or more macroalgae species, or any other target product described herein. In some implementations, the cultivation device 600 or any of the substrates or cultivation devices described herein (e.g., cultivation devices 200, 300, 400, 500) can be included in a deployment of tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or more of cultivation devices. Each of the cultivation devices 600 (or any other cultivation devices described herein) in such a deployment can be seeded and / or attached with one or more target products.

[0130]

[0136] As described in detail herein, deployment of the cultivation device 600 may occur at any suitable geographic location on or within any suitable body of water. As shown in FIG. 7 , the cultivation device 600 includes a first member 610, a second member 614, and an intermediate member 613 configured to reversibly couple the first member 610 to the second member 614. The cultivation device 600 and / or its first, second, and intermediate members may be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, for example, the cultivation device 600 may be substantially similar to any of the cultivation devices (also referred to as “microfarms”) described in detail in the '315 patent incorporated by reference above. However, the cultivation device 600 may differ in that it includes one or more coatings including any of the carbonaceous materials described herein, which may be used to form at least a portion of the cultivation device 600.

[0131]

[0137] In some embodiments, the cultivation equipment 600 may be arranged in a modular configuration in which one or more portions of the first member 610, the second member 614, and / or the intermediate member 613 may be mechanically coupled to collectively form the cultivation equipment 600. For example, in some implementations, the second member 614 may be seeded with, coupled to, and / or attached to (or the desired products may be attached to) the one or more desired products in a delivery and / or deployment system. In such implementations, one or more portions of the cultivation equipment 600 may be loaded onto the delivery and / or deployment system and / or components thereof, transported to the deployment location by the delivery and / or deployment system, and assembled (e.g., the first member 610, the second member 614, and the intermediate member 613 may be at least temporarily coupled) as the delivery and / or deployment system approaches and / or is present at a deployment location and then deployed into a body of water at or near the deployment location. In some embodiments, the second member 614 may include or be coated with any of the coatings described herein, for example, to promote adhesion of the target product 630 and / or to provide nutrients and / or other supplemental materials to the target product 630 to aid in biomass growth and accumulation.

[0132]

[0138] The first member 610 of the cultivation equipment 600 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, the first member 610 can include a substrate or cultivation equipment 200, 300, 400, 500, or any other substrate or cultivation equipment described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the first member 610 of the cultivation equipment 600 can include and / or form a growth substrate configured to be seeded and / or otherwise receive a target product, such as one or more macroalgal gametophyte species and / or sporophyte species, as previously described herein. In some embodiments, the first member 610 can be configured to provide buoyancy to various components of the cultivation equipment 600 (whether seeded with a target product or not) so that the equipment 600 can at least temporarily float on the surface or at a desired depth of the body of water W in which it is deployed. In some implementations, the first member 610 can be removed after a predetermined time and / or after a desired amount of target product has grown or accumulated. In other implementations, the first member 610 can be configured to subside after a predetermined time and / or a desired amount of growth or accumulation of the target product.

[0133]

[0139] In some embodiments, first member 610, which may also be referred to as a “substrate” or “buoy” or any other selectively buoyant member, may be formed from a naturally occurring material, such as any of the naturally occurring materials described herein. In some embodiments, at least a portion of first member 610 may be coated with a coating formed from or formed from a carbonaceous material, as described herein. In some embodiments, first member 610 (e.g., in the form of a hollow block) may include a mechanical, chemical, and / or biological timer / valve configured to release gas contained therein after a predetermined time (e.g., a time associated with and / or resulting in the growth and / or accumulation of a desired amount of a target product), thereby reducing the buoyancy of first member 610. In some embodiments, the first member 610 (e.g., any of the cultivation devices 200, 300, 400, 500), or at least a portion thereof, may be configured to partially or completely decompose and / or disintegrate after a threshold period of deployment (e.g., in or on the ocean, etc.) and / or upon or after sinking of the cultivation device 600 to the sea / ocean floor. In some implementations, the first member 610 may release a chemical and / or biological payload, such as an alkaline fluid, into the surface ocean, which may result in carbon sequestration, alone or in combination with or otherwise assisted by target product accumulation.

[0134]

[0140] In some embodiments, the first member 610 may include one or more portions that may degrade and / or disintegrate at different and / or variable rates depending on environmental conditions. In some embodiments, the first member 610 may include a sealing member at least temporarily coupled to and / or at least temporarily disposed on the first member 610. In some implementations, the sealing member may be degradable and / or automatically or manually detachable from the first member 610, thereby allowing air and / or other gases contained therein to escape and / or water to enter the first member 610. Thus, the first member 610 (and thus the cultivation equipment 600), as described in detail herein and in the '315 patent, may be positively buoyant when initially deployed, float for a predetermined and / or threshold time after deployment, and then sink as the desired product seeded or attached to the cultivation equipment 600 grows and produces biomass.

[0135]

[0141] The second member 614 of the cultivation equipment 600 may be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. The second member 614 may be coupled to the first member 610 and / or the intermediate member 613 (e.g., at a desired deployment position). In some embodiments, the second member 614 may be substantially similar and / or the same as any of the second members of the cultivation equipment described in the '315 patent. For example, in some embodiments, the second member 614 may be one or more seeding lines, long lines, and / or ropes. In some embodiments, the second member 614 may be similar to any of the substrates and / or formed from the naturally occurring materials described herein. In some embodiments, the second member 614 may include an optional weight, such as a metal ring and / or a mineralized layer (not shown), to provide negative buoyancy of and / or associated with the second member 614.

[0136]

[0142] In some implementations, the second member 614 can be configured to receive one or more end products 630, such as one or more macroalgal gametophyte species and / or sporophyte species, or any other end product described herein. For example, one or more portions and / or surfaces of the second member 614 can be formed of, include, and / or be bonded to a growth substrate (not shown), as described above, can be formed of any of the naturally occurring materials described herein, and / or can include any of the coatings described herein, and thus be infused with a growth substrate, nutrients, fertilizers, binders, additives, pH adjustments, ions, buffers, etc., configured to promote seeding, attachment, and / or growth of the end product 630.

[0137]

[0143] The intermediate member 613 of the cultivation equipment 600 may be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, the intermediate member 613 may be similar and / or substantially the same as any of the intermediate members of the cultivation equipment described in the '315 patent. For example, in some embodiments, the intermediate member 613 may be at least partially similar to the first member 610 and / or the second member 614. The intermediate member 613 is configured to at least temporarily couple the first member 610 to the second member 614. For example, one or more portions of the intermediate member 613 may be and / or include one or more mechanical couplings, such as adhesives, glues, pastes, cements, etc.; one or more anchor points, such as rings, shackles, swivels, and / or joints; tie knots, thimbles, and / or hooks; and / or any other suitable coupling.

[0138]

[0144] In some embodiments, the intermediate member 613 can be formed of a degradable material, such as a compostable copolyester, a cellulosic material, and / or any of the naturally occurring materials described herein. For example, the intermediate member 613 can be formed of and / or include polyglycolide, polylactide, polyhydroxybutyrate, chitosan, hyaluronic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(caprolactone), polyhydroxyalkanoate, ECOFLEX®, ECOVIO®, and / or any other marine-compatible material, and / or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the intermediate member 613 can be formed of, for example, any of the materials and / or combinations of materials described in the '315 patent. In some embodiments, the intermediate member 613 can be formed from a naturally occurring material (e.g., any of the naturally occurring materials described herein). Although example materials (e.g., degradable and / or compostable materials) are listed, it should be understood that other materials are possible and that the materials are not intended to be limited to those expressly stated and / or referenced herein.

[0139]

[0145] As described above with reference to first member 610, intermediate member 613 can be configured to degrade after a threshold or predetermined deployment time. In some implementations, degradation of intermediate member 613 can cause and / or result in decoupling of first member 612 from second member 614. In some embodiments, intermediate member 613 can be configured to degrade after a desired amount of growth or accumulation of target product 630 attached to second member 614, as described above. In some embodiments, intermediate member 613 can be configured to degrade under predetermined environmental conditions, including, but not limited to, temperature, pressure, and / or exposure to UV and / or visible light.

[0140]

[0146] As noted above, in some implementations, the first member 610 may be positively buoyant, while the second member 614 may be negatively buoyant, and / or the desired product 630 attached to the second member 614 may be negatively buoyant. Thus, when the intermediate member 613 decouples the first member 610 from the second member 614 (e.g., as a result of disassembly or mechanical decoupling), the first member 610 may float at or above the surface of the ocean, while the second member 614 and the desired product 630 attached thereto may sink to the bottom or floor of the body of water W (e.g., the seabed, ocean floor, etc.). The sinking of the second member 614 and the desired product 630 attached thereto may effectively sequester the amount of carbon associated with and / or captured by the desired product 630 and / or coating, which may mitigate ocean acidification due to dissolution of the carbonaceous coating into the body of water W, as described previously herein.

[0141]

[0147] In some embodiments, second component 614 may be formed from a naturally occurring material, may include a coating, or may be formed from a carbonaceous material described herein and may naturally decompose (e.g., after sinking). In some embodiments, first component 610 may be formed from a naturally occurring material and / or a carbonaceous material and may be naturally degradable, or may be configured to decompose and / or otherwise decompose on the surface of the water, or may be configured to decompose and sink to the bottom or bottom of the body of water. In some embodiments, first component 610 may decompose at a slower rate than intermediate component 613, the decomposition or otherwise breakdown of intermediate component 613 causing detachment and sinking of second component 614, and thus desired product 630.

[0142]

[0148] In some embodiments, the cultivation equipment 600 and / or one or more of its components (e.g., the first member 610) may include and / or be coupled to devices configured to sense, detect, and / or monitor the growth of the target product 630, biomass generation, biomass yield, environmental characteristics or data, and / or any other data associated with the deployment of one or more cultivation equipment. For example, in some embodiments, the cultivation equipment 600 may include one or more sensors, cameras (e.g., underwater cameras, fluorometers, and / or other imaging or optical detection technologies), tracking devices (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices and / or radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, etc.), remote sensing devices, telemetry devices, communication devices, and / or any other suitable devices, such as any of those described in the '315 patent, the '681 application, and / or the '746 PCT.

[0143]

[0149] In some implementations that include or couple such a device to the buoyant first member 610, retrieval of the first member 610 and the device may occur, for example, after the second member 614 has been decoupled from the first member 610. In such implementations, the first member 610 may be formed from any of the naturally occurring materials described herein and may include any of the coatings described herein, but may be treated and / or otherwise configured to slow, reduce, and / or substantially prevent degradation, thereby allowing retrieval of the first member 610 (e.g., after being decoupled from the second member 614). As such, data associated with and / or collected by or on the cultivation equipment 600 may be combined, analyzed, calculated, processed, etc. to determine, estimate, and / or predict, for example, past or present target crop growth or growth rate, biomass production, biomass yield, subsidence rate, deployment location, deployment dispersion, environmental conditions in the area corresponding to the deployment, estimated travel distance or estimated travel time to a second location, and / or any other desired information associated with the deployment of the cultivation equipment 600 and / or any number of cultivation equipment. Further, in some implementations, such information may be used as described in detail in the '315 patent, the '339 PCT, and / or the '681 application, and / or otherwise inform one or more predictions and / or quantifications associated with the rate, amount, and / or capacity of carbon capture and / or sequestration, etc.

[0144]

[0150] In some embodiments, data collected by such devices may be wirelessly transmitted, for example, to a remote data collection center located on shore or on a ship, or to a buoy or drone floating in proximity to a location on the body of water where the collection or array of cultivation equipment 600 is deployed. In such embodiments, the devices may be formed from biocompatible materials such that they can be submerged in the body of water along with the cultivation equipment and eventually decompose or disintegrate in the body of water, as described in the '746 PCT.

[0145]

[0151] It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various embodiments are merely illustrative. While only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily recognize that numerous modifications are possible (e.g., changes in size, dimensions, structure, shape, proportions of various elements, parameter values, mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc.) without substantially departing from any of the teachings and / or advantages of the subject matter described herein. Other substitutions, modifications, variations, and / or omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions, and / or arrangement of the various embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Where schematic diagrams and / or above-described embodiments suggest particular components disposed in particular orientations or positions, the arrangement of the components may be modified.

[0146]

[0152] While the present specification contains details of many specific implementations, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any embodiment, the use of the embodiment, or what may be claimed, but rather as a description of specific features or aspects for particular implementations. Certain features and / or aspects described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features and / or aspects described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, while features may be described above as acting in a particular combination and may even initially be claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a combination may be deleted from that combination to define and / or form a subcombination or a variation of that subcombination.

[0147]

[0153] Thus, although specific implementations have been described, other implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. In some cases, the actions described herein can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown or sequential order to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Claims

1. The deployment involves deploying a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) payload at a first location in a body of water, wherein the CDR payload has a first configuration. The CDR payload is enabled to move to a second location in the body of water via a natural water current, and the CDR payload is enabled to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration during its movement from the first location to the second location, thereby facilitating carbon dioxide sequestration. To quantify the amount of carbon dioxide sequestration associated with the CDR payload as it transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration. A method that includes this.

2. The carbon credits are defined based at least in part on the amount of carbon dioxide sequestration associated with the CDR payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration, Selling the aforementioned carbon credits on the carbon market The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The CDR payload includes a substrate, and the method is The substrate is formed from at least one of a naturally occurring material or an industrially produced material such that the buoyancy of the substrate in the first configuration is greater than the threshold buoyancy, and the buoyancy of the substrate in the second configuration is less than the threshold buoyancy. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a target product, and the threshold buoyancy is at least partially based on the negative buoyancy of the target product after it has grown and accumulated biomass as the substrate is transported from a first position to a second position.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the amount of carbon dioxide sequestration associated with the CDR payload is the sum of the amount of carbon dioxide sequestrated as a result of the substrate transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration and the amount of carbon dioxide sequestrated as a result of the target product growing and accumulating biomass.

6. A coating comprising covering at least a portion of the substrate with a coating containing an alkaline material, wherein the coating is configured to dissolve when the substrate is placed in the aqueous solution, causing the substrate to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

7. The substrate is a first portion of the CDR payload, and the coating is a second portion of the CDR payload, the second portion of the CDR payload comprising at least one chemical CDR payload or biological CDR payload configured to be released into the water as the substrate is transported from the first position to the second position via the natural water flow, and The method according to claim 6, wherein the amount of carbon dioxide sequestration associated with the CDR payload is the sum of the amount of carbon dioxide sequestrated as a result of the first portion of the CDR payload and the amount of carbon dioxide sequestrated as a result of the second portion of the CDR payload.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the CDR payload includes an alkaline material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the deployment of the CDR payload includes deploying the CDR payload to the first position in the aqueous body while the alkaline material is in liquid form.

10. The alkaline material is an alkaline liquid, and the method is As the CDR payload is transported from the first position to the second position, the alkaline liquid is released into the aqueous body, wherein the release of the alkaline liquid is operable to at least partially neutralize the acidification of the aqueous body or at least partially neutralize the acidity released from the CDR payload. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

11. Receiving naturally occurring materials from naturally occurring material sources, Forming the aforementioned naturally occurring material into at least a portion of the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) payload, The CDR payload is deployed at a first position in the body of water, As the CDR payload is transported by natural water currents from the first position in the water body to the second position in the water body, the CDR payload is made capable of transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration. As a result of the CDR payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration, carbon dioxide is captured via the CDR payload, To quantify the amount of carbon dioxide segregated by the CDR payload. A method that includes this.

12. The carbon credits are defined at least in part based on the amount of carbon dioxide captured as a result of the CDR payload transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration, Selling the aforementioned carbon credits on the carbon market The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

13. The CDR payload is a substrate, and the method is The substrate is formed from at least one of a naturally occurring material or an industrially produced material such that the buoyancy of the substrate in the first configuration is greater than the threshold buoyancy, and the buoyancy of the substrate in the second configuration is less than the threshold buoyancy. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the substrate comprises a target product, and the threshold buoyancy is at least partially based on the negative buoyancy of the target product after it has grown and accumulated biomass as the substrate is transported from a first position to a second position.

15. Coating at least a portion of the substrate with a coating comprising at least one carbonaceous material or an alkaline material, wherein the coating is configured to dissolve as the substrate is transported from a first position to a second position, causing the substrate to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

16. The CDR payload comprises an alkaline material, and the method is As the CDR payload is transported from the first position to the second position, the alkaline liquid is released into the aqueous body, wherein the release of the alkaline liquid is operable to at least partially neutralize the acidification of the aqueous body or at least partially neutralize the acidity released from the CDR payload. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

17. Receiving naturally occurring materials from naturally occurring material sources, Forming the aforementioned naturally occurring material into a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) payload, The objective position in the body of water is determined based at least partially on the CDR payload, The determination involves running at least one machine learning model based at least partially on the CDR payload and the target location to determine a deployment location for deploying the CDR payload in the body of water, wherein the CDR payload is configured to be transported from the deployment location to the target location by natural water currents, and the CDR payload is further configured to capture carbon dioxide as it is transported from the deployment location to the target location. A method that includes this.

18. To quantify the amount of carbon dioxide captured by the CDR payload, The carbon credits are defined at least in part on the amount of carbon dioxide captured as the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location, Selling the aforementioned carbon credits on the carbon market The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

19. The target location is determined at least in part based on the estimated travel time and predicted trajectory of the CDR payload through the water body when the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location, and The method according to claim 17, wherein the deployment location is determined at least in part on (i) the estimated travel time and predicted trajectory of the CDR payload through the water body when the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location, and (ii) at least one of environmental conditions, the chemical properties of the water body, the migration area of ​​fish or marine mammals, or ship traffic along the predicted trajectory.

20. The CDR payload contains an alkaline liquid, and the method is As the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location, the alkaline liquid is released into the aqueous body, wherein the release of the alkaline liquid is operable to at least partially neutralize the acidification of the aqueous body or at least partially neutralize the acidity released from the CDR payload. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

21. The CDR payload includes a substrate containing ground biomass, configured to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration as the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location, and the method is as follows: The substrate is formed such that the buoyancy of the CDR payload before the substrate transitions to the second configuration is greater than the threshold buoyancy, and the buoyancy of the CDR payload when the substrate is in the second configuration is less than the threshold buoyancy. When the substrate has the second configuration, the CDR payload is configured to sink to a predetermined depth in the water at the target position and isolate the carbon dioxide captured by the CDR payload. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

22. The CDR payload includes the target product attached to the substrate, and the threshold buoyancy is at least partially based on the negative buoyancy of the target product after it has grown and accumulated biomass as the CDR payload is transported from the deployment position to the target position, and The method according to claim 21, wherein the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered as a result of the CDR payload sinking to the predetermined depth in the water body is the sum of the amount of carbon dioxide captured as a result of the substrate transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration and the amount of carbon dioxide captured as a result of the target product growing and accumulating biomass.

23. The substrate is covered with a coating that includes at least a carbonaceous material or an alkaline material, The coating is configured to dissolve as the CDR payload is transported from the deployment location to the target location. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the coating further comprises at least one nutrient, fertilizer, or additive configured to be released in response to the dissolution of the coating to help the target product grow and accumulate biomass.

25. The coating comprises the alkaline material, and the method is Sterilize at least a portion of the substrate according to the coating. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

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