In this episode of Plan Sea, hosts Anna Madlener and Wil Burns dive deep into the new Biogeosciences special issue focused on the environmental safety of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). This episode’s guests are Dr.Lydia Kapsenberg and Dr. Tyler Cyronak who helped edit the special issue. Compiling more than 20 studies, the special issue serves as a “one-stop shop” of the latest peer-reviewed science on the environmental safety of OAE — ranging from responses of micro algae and corals, to the influence of biogeochemical cycling and trace metals. Tune in as we unpack what insights these studies collectively suggest and discuss what it means for next steps in environmental safety research for OAE.

The volume of OAE research has grown dramatically in recent years — increasing four-fold over the last five years. The Biogeosciences special issue shines a light on this rapidly evolving landscape and offers a tool for researchers, funders, regulators, and other partners to access centralized information on potential ecological risks, environmental monitoring standards, and feedstock safety related to multiple OAE approaches.

Throughout the discussion, many themes arise, including the question: How important is it to understand both system-wide patterns and local ecological realities? Lydia and Tyler highlight that while the Biogeosciences studies suggest that many phytoplankton species appear to be resilient under expected OAE conditions, local species and ecological contexts must still be factored into any field research design. This is where researchers have an important responsibility to meaningfully engage with communities on what matters most for their local marine ecosystems and align planned environmental monitoring efforts accordingly.

For researchers, policymakers, and communities assessing OAE’s environmental safety as a potential climate solution, the Biogeosciences special issue offers a crucial early evidence base and a clearer picture of what questions come next.

As mentioned during the episode, Carbon to Sea’s Environmental Impact Monitoring Framework is now available for public review and comment here, through December 12th. Carbon to Sea and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation are also currently soliciting proposals for scientific research on the safety of OAE on commercially and culturally valued marine species. You can view the full funding opportunity and submit a proposal by January 16, 2026.

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based climate solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative and the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.


ACRONYMS / CONCEPTS:

• CDR: Carbon Dioxide Removal
• EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
• MRV: monitoring, reporting, and verification
• OAE: ocean alkalinity enhancement
• OAEPIIP: Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Pelagic Impact Intercomparison Project

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based climate solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative & the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.

In this edition of Plan Sea, hosts Anna Madlener and Wil Burns kick off season three of the podcast with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers Dr. Adam Subhas and Jennie Rheuban to discuss the LOC-NESS project — a small-scale, open-ocean research trial on ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). The project’s co-principal investigators join Anna and Wil to recount the process of receiving a first-of-its-kind permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the role of local community engagement, and the project’s early findings.

A few weeks ago, WHOI completed its highly controlled research trial in the Gulf of Maine to study the environmental safety and efficacy of OAE as a carbon dioxide removal technique. Approved by the EPA after a two-year, rigorous permitting process, the LOC-NESS project introduced small amounts of purified sodium hydroxide – a compound often used to balance the pH of drinking water – to the ocean surface waters, along with a harmless red dye to help track it. This field study came after years of preparation and development, including extensive laboratory experiments, ocean modeling, and a growing body of scientific literature.

Dr. Adam Subhas is an Associate Scientist at WHOI and the project lead for LOC-NESS. Adam credits the project’s success so far to the comprehensive preparation and collaboration between WHOI scientists and EPA staff — on everything from ocean modeling and biogeochemical impact evaluation, to engaging communities and local industries on what to expect from the research. He also talks about how their pursuit of the first-ever ocean carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) permit under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, helped the LOC-NESS team refine their procedures, improve their approach, and make the project more responsive to feedback from their community.

Jennie Rheuban is a WHOI Research Specialist and serves as a co-principal investigator for LOC-NESS. Jennie points to community engagement as a critical component of LOC-NESS’s development, recounting the project’s years-long effort to engage with questions from a range of stakeholders, including the fishing community. By emphasizing its position as an independent scientific research project without commercial ambitions, WHOI was able to cultivate credibility and gather important community inputs that shaped the scope and methodologies of the research. For example, the team spent additional time researching types of fish larvae in potential field trial regions to bring that information back to the local fisherman.

Looking ahead, LOC-NESS researchers will continue to analyze data gathered during this summer’s trial to understand the impacts and efficacy of the alkalinity dispersal.

More information about LOC-NESS’s findings will be shared at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in February 2026.

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative & the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based climate solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative & the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.

In this edition of Plan Sea, co-host Anna Madlener sits down with co-host (and one of this week’s guests) Wil Burns, Dr. Terre Satterfield from the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Chris Pearce from the UK’s National Oceanography Center. Burns, Satterfield, and Pearce are some of the lead authors on a new report launched at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, “Principles for Responsible and Effective Marine CDR Development and Governance.”

Commissioned by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the report outlines how to responsibly evaluate and potentially scale ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) — also referred to as marine CDR — along three pillars: scientific and technological readiness, governance, and national implementation. The framework reflects months of collaborative research to help address how oCDR can begin to move from lab trials to real-world deployment — while maintaining high standards of scientific rigor, environmental protection, and public trust. Read the full report HERE.

Dr. Terre Satterfield, Professor of Culture, Risk and the Environment at the University of British Columbia, joins Wil and Anna to discuss the report’s recommendations for national strategies that can accelerate oCDR research and public engagement. She spoke about the importance of streamlining permitting processes for oCDR field trials, earmarking funding for lab networks for holistic oCDR evaluation, and investing in public engagement hubs to help co-design research efforts.

Dr. Christopher Pearce, drawing from his research on oCDR science at the UK’s National Oceanography Center, discusses how the report offers six categories to assess scientific and technological readiness for various oCDR approaches. This aims to help policymakers better understand when and why, for example, an approach may be quite well-understood by scientists in the lab, but the environmental impacts associated with larger projects are less understood and require field trials for further evaluation. He also explains how tools like pre-permitted testbed sites and national lab networks can promote data sharing and create the infrastructure needed for safe and scalable mCDR projects.

Looking ahead, Wil, Terre, and Chris discuss how international frameworks like BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) can ensure accountability for future mCDR governance, and reflect on the major challenges facing the field—from limited public awareness and funding to the need for strong public oversight as the technology scales. The report offers important recommendations, such as creating pre-permitted testbed sites and national lab networks that can promote research efficiency and strong standards as oCDR continues to be evaluated, regulated, and tested.

To learn more about the report’s findings, listen to the full episode HERE, subscribe with your favorite podcast service, or find the entire series here.

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based climate solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative & the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.

ACRONYMS / CONCEPTS:

• MRV (1:26); Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification
• TRL (6:58); Technology Readiness Level
• SRL (6:44); Scientific Readiness Level
• BBNJ (38:03); Agreement on Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known a

Plan Sea is a semi-weekly podcast exploring ocean-based climate solutions, brought to you by the Carbon to Sea Initiative & the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.