Anoxia is the absence of oxygen. An anoxic pool forms when a solid layer of salt buried in sediment dissolves, creating an extremely salty brine that accumulates in pockets of the seafloor. The density difference between the extremely salty brine and the somewhat salty seawater minimizes circulation, and the pool becomes isolated and anoxic. In the waters off the Gulf Coast, these anoxic conditions are created by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates pushing salt deposits up through the seafloor. 

Anoxic brine pools are fascinating ecosystems where only some microbiota, like bacteria and archaea, have evolved to survive. They are the sole living inhabitants of these most extreme environments, and they don’t get out much — they're “stuck” in the dense brine water. The lack of oxygen means that multicellular organisms (i.e., marine mammals, fish, plants) and most other microbial life forms cannot survive in the pools.

Generally speaking, absolutely. Adding nutrients or carbon to the open ocean is dangerous to ocean ecosystems, just like climate change itself. That's why we are narrowly focusing our work on terrestrial biomass and isolated, anoxic brines.  It's important to note that we are not introducing any new or foreign matter into the ocean. Every year, rivers transport substantial amounts of organic carbon — including the same agricultural plant stalks we are using in our process — to the ocean as part of the natural carbon cycle. With MACS, we are attempting to amplify this natural cycle in a tightly monitored environment.

We test it! One of our chief priorities is to make sure we're not doing damage to plants, animals, or the ocean. As part of the MACS process, we've thoroughly tested our biomass to make sure we know exactly what we’re putting in the brine pool, and shared our results with the EPA (see page 24 of our fact sheet). The EPA is confident that our study would not harm the ocean or marine life. As we move forward, we will actively monitor for the presence of pesticides or agricultural chemicals, and if levels exceed EPA thresholds, we exclude the biomass from our process.

We work with scientists, boat operators, and regulators to make sure our operations are minimally invasive to marine ecosystems. Our boat operators are trained in vessel handling protocols to avoid interaction with marine mammals and sea turtles, and we consult with local experts, the EPA, and NOAA to develop project plans that avoid disturbing marine life. 

Our Orca Basin project will require 4-5 vessel transits aboard LUMCON ships using established routes. There will be no anticipated disturbance to coastal habitats — the process involves no pipelines or shoreside infrastructure. Carbon storage happens offshore and does not threaten landowner properties or rights.

The Carboniferous team wanted to find ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere that used Earth’s natural processes and carried low environmental risk. Inspiration came from reading reports of how ancient shipwrecks discovered in the anoxic waters of the Black Sea were startlingly well preserved, with fabric, wood, and rope fibers still intact. The realization that anoxic conditions can slow plant decomposition and store carbon led the team to connect with decades of academic research and the history of the geologic Carboniferous Period. During this period, trees piled on top of each other and did not decompose — because bacteria and fungi at the time were unable to break down lignin — which massively reduced atmospheric CO2 levels. These observations led us to start working on Carboniferous, the company.