In this edition of Plan Sea, 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 as t

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 sit down with Kyla Westphal and Mallory Ringham from Ebb Carbon to discuss Project Macoma — the company’s pilot ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) study being conducted in Port Angeles, Washington this summer. A first-of-its-kind endeavor, Project Macoma aims to remove up to 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere using Ebb Carbon’s electrochemical OAE technology. Kyla and Mallory join to share more about their journey engaging the local community on this proposed research, securing a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and establishing Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) standards as this work gets underway.

Project Macoma continues the work of the late Dr. Matthew Eisaman, Co-Founder of Ebb Carbon and a pivotal figure in the ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) field. Matt dedicated his life to fostering a clear understanding of the scientific path forward for potential oCDR solutions, while also creating an inclusive and environmentally-responsible sector. For more background into Ebb Carbon and a deep dive into their approach, listen to our episode with Matt HERE.

Kyla Westphal, Vice President of External Affairs at Ebb Carbon, joins Anna and Will to discuss her role developing safe and responsible deployment of OAE. Building on her experience working in what she calls “the intersection between technology and humanity,” Kyla oversees both the stakeholder engagement and ecological safety aspects of Ebb Carbon’s work. She shares how Project Macoma is building on years of foundational environmental research and engagement with Washington state regulators, community groups, and tribal governments to earn local buy-in and support.

Mallory Ringham, Lead Oceanographer and Head of MRV, then discusses how Ebb Carbon secured the first-ever National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) approval for oCDR under the Clean Water Act. She shares how the permit requires a slow, careful, and continuously monitored operation to ensure water quality standards are met within prescribed mixing zones. Mallory also discusses how Ebb’s foundational research created a strong understanding of the seasonal and tidal variability in the region, allowing for more accurate monitoring and analysis of the project. This summer, Mallory will continue to oversee the monitoring process to ensure the project is operating safely, responsibly, and effectively.

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 (1:05); Monitoring, Reporting and Verification
• NPDES (14:56); National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
• MCDR; Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (21:58)

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, host Anna Madlener is joined by Na’im Merchant, host of The Carbon Curve podcast and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, for a special co-hosted episode of the two podcasts. Recorded live at the Carbon to Sea 2025 Annual Convening, Anna and Na’im speak with Lennart Bach, Associate Professor and ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) scientist at the University of Tasmania, to share insights and key takeaways from this year’s convening.

Last month, Carbon to Sea hosted its third Annual Convening in Washington, D.C., bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share recent progress and discuss a path forward for OAE. Bach, who previously spoke with Plan Sea on his work in ocean iron fertilization, was a speaker on this year’s “Scientific Research Progress and Updates” panel. Focused on the environmental impacts of OAE, Bach’s research aims to learn more about how OAE approaches may impact the marine ecosystem.

Building on conversations from the convening, Bach joins Anna and Na’im to share his optimism about the future of OAE, while also recognizing the potential challenges posed by a dip in the “hype cycle” that emerging scientific fields often face. However, Bach said he feels confident in progress that’s already been made and noted the importance of building on preliminary findings about OAE’s potential to conduct more targeted research.

Na’im similarly addresses this challenging moment for the climate industry writ large, as it faces reduced funding and policy support in many areas, with new geopolitical headwinds. Drawing on his experience working across the carbon removal space, Na’im offers advice for how the OAE field can address this moment by prioritizing focused research, establishing an updated roadmap, and exploring new funding pathways.

Looking ahead, both Na’im and Bach highlight the importance of aligning on MRV approaches, cross-sector partnerships, increased community and policymaker engagement, and exploring new funding pathways in order to advance OAE research. As this year’s convening exemplified, the immediate opportunities in OAE research have largely been addressed; what lies ahead is more complex and demands significantly greater coordination.

Listen to our previous episode with Lennart Bach here.

ACRONYMS / CONCEPTS:

• OAE (2:28)
• MRV (18:06)
• DAC (23:37)
• CRCF (29:59)
• ETS (29:59)
• ERW (36:16)

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.