Floating Macrophyte Raft for Ocean Carbon Sequestration

The patent uses floating macrophyte rafts as an intermediary carrier to transport nutrients from freshwater to marine environments. Instead of directly adding fertilizers to the ocean, the nutrients are incorporated into plant biomass that naturally decomposes in the target area, providing a controlled and environmentally friendly nutrient delivery mechanism that avoids overconcentration and harmful effects.

The floating macrophyte rafts utilize their own biomass as the nutrient delivery vehicle. The plants grow in freshwater, accumulate nutrients in their tissues, and then float to the ocean where they decompose, releasing nutrients naturally. This self-contained system eliminates the need for separate fertilizer application and reduces environmental harm through controlled, natural nutrient cycling.

Instead of using herbicides to kill plant biomass and then removing it, the patent inverts the approach by allowing plant biomass to grow and then naturally decompose in the ocean. The decomposition process itself achieves carbon sequestration without requiring chemical elimination or mechanical removal, thereby avoiding the costs and environmental risks of herbicide use.

The patent converts what would traditionally be considered waste (decomposing plant biomass) into a beneficial process. The decomposition of floating macrophyte rafts in the ocean releases nutrients that stimulate phytoplankton growth and enhances carbon sequestration, transforming a potential harm (organic waste accumulation) into an environmental benefit.

The floating macrophyte rafts are self-propelled by wind and water currents, eliminating the need for boat-based transport and elimination operations. The system uses natural forces to move the biomass from freshwater to marine environments and to distribute it across the ocean surface, where it decomposes naturally. This eliminates the carbon footprint associated with mechanical transport and removal operations.

The patent replaces mechanical systems (boats, pumps, and other heavy machinery used in traditional biomass elimination) with natural physical processes. Wind and water currents naturally transport the floating rafts, and microbial decomposition naturally breaks down the biomass in the ocean, substituting mechanical energy consumption with environmentally friendly natural processes.