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Gigablue Sells 200,000 Ocean Carbon Credits as Experts Question Efficacy

New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research has validated the startup’s sequestration measurements despite ongoing doubts over particle performance and marine impacts.

Overview

  • Gigablue’s transaction with SkiesFifty represents the largest-ever sale of ocean-based carbon credits by a climate startup, symbolizing the removal of 200,000 metric tons of CO₂.
  • The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research publicly endorsed Gigablue’s methodology as scientifically sound and praised its carbon sequestration measurements.
  • Independent marine scientists have raised concerns that limited sunlight could impede algae growth on the sinking particles and that particles may be consumed by bacteria or fish.
  • Gigablue has kept its particle formulations proprietary, though permit documents reveal mixtures of vermiculite, ground rock, plant waxes, manganese and iron.
  • The nascent ocean carbon removal sector remains lightly regulated and experts are calling for stricter oversight and peer-reviewed validation of emerging technologies.