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Blusinkies: Engineered for Carbon Capture, Rhodolith Growth, and Self-Sustaining Ocean Restoration.
What are Blusinkies?
Blusinkies are small apple-sized pebbles, made from our carefully designed and patented material. When deployed in the ocean, these disks act as a substrate for carbon capture storage (CCS) species and over time are able to mineralise carbon emissions into units that have the potential to naturally transition into pink carbon nodules (called Rhodoliths or Maerl) on the seafloor.
We aim to turn areas where Blusinkies are deployed into carbon removal powerhouses by optimising ecological enhancement for effective carbon sequestration, locking away the carbon for thousands to millions of years
Read more about Rhodolith power here
How do we make Blusinkies?
First we take waste material from brick and ceramic factories, agricultural farming and other industrial processes and combine this in special formulas to create our patented material. Over 95% of the material that forms a Blusinkie is made from waste, which not only enhances circularity but also makes our production very cost effective, with raw materials contributing to less than 3% of our operating costs! We mould this material into a disk shape (we have studied which geometry provides the optimal surface area and porosity for population) and fire it to transform it into a durable, hardened material. Our Blusinkies are essentially a ceramic material with ocean liming properties, which won't degrade, have a high tolerance to dissolution cause by ocean acidification and won’t release substances that could affect the marine environment. Once the disk has been heated, it is ready to be deployed! Best of all, the materials that Blusinkies are composed of are widely present in the ocean naturally - meaning we don't have to worry about adding untested material to the ocean environment. Essentially Blusinkies mimic calcite seafloors which are already there, and enhance the natural seafloor composition when it comes to Rhodolith growth rates specifically.
How do Blusinkies work?
Blusinkies act as an artificial substrate for benthic organisms to attach to. Benthic organisms are creatures that live on, in or near the bottom of aquatic environments like oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem, contributing to nutrient cycling, decomposition and serving as food for other aquatic species. Some benthic organisms, such as coralline algae, are carbon capture and storage species. Without a suitable substrate, benthic organisms face challenges in establishing themselves and forming stable communities, leading to population decline. When Blusinkies are deployed, they are initially colonised by pioneer species such as bacteria, who appear in high abundance on the surface of a Blusinkie within only a few weeks after being underwater. Next the Blusinkies are populated by intermediate species such as funghi and eukaroytes (for example algae). Finally, the Blusinkies are colonised by a diverse community of species, predominantly coralline algae but also other eukaryotic organisms like green algae, brown algae, polychaetes, bryozoans and arthropods. At this point, which typically occurs within 6 months to 1 year of deployment, the Blusinkies become fully modular ecosystems - acting as a self-contained, self-sustaining ecosystem. The final step of the magic happens when the coralline algae that have attached to the Blusinkie, grow by depositing calcium carbonate in their cell walls, giving them a pink, red, or purplish color (rhodoliths). By incorporating calcium carbonate into their structure, calcified algae act as carbon sinks, storing carbon in the form of CaCO₃. When detached from their original Blusink base, rhodoliths continue to grow outward in a three-dimensional shape as free-living organisms. They become self-sustaining, adding new layers of calcified algae as they roll around on the seafloor, which gives them a unique structure distinct from coralline algae that remain attached to a substrate. Importantly the benefit of Blusinkies is that we do not introduce new species into a local habitat; we only provide a foundation for native species to settle on. If something isn't meant to be there, it won't be there!
How do we know they'll work in different areas?
Rhodoliths and Maerl beds, which share similarities with Blusinkies, naturally occur around the world, providing a strong indication of suitable conditions for our deployments. We focus on areas where these habitats are already thriving, or exist in similar water conditions nearby, ensuring the best chance of success. If a customer has a specific site in mind, we conduct a thorough site assessment survey to evaluate its suitability for Blusinkie deployment. This includes analysing environmental factors like water quality, substrate type, and existing biodiversity to ensure our solution integrates seamlessly with the local ecosystem.
Read more about how we monitor and measure success post-deployment here
ENVIRONMENTAL
CO-BENEFITS
Not only does our solution capture carbon, but it supports and restores ocean ecosystems - improving biodiversity and supporting marine life.
NO COMPETITION FOR LAND
We don't require productive land cover, meaning our solutions doesn't compete with important land-use requirements such as agriculture and crop growth
NO RELIANCE ON MONO-CULTURE
Unlike some solutions, we don't rely on a single species (monoculture) but instead provide the base for a thriving and diverse ecosystem that supports and enhances local biodiversity.
HIGH PERMANENCE
Our solution is high permanence - carbon is stored for 10,000s of years due to the geological nature of it's storage - which minimises the risk of re-release back to the atmosphere.
NATURALLY OCCURRING MATERIALS
Our materials occur naturally in seabeds around the world - so we're not introducing anything foreign or unknown into the environment.
IMPROVES OCEAN RESILIENCE
We enhance the natural habitat, creating marine corridors and balancing marine pH - making it more resilient to future changes and providing a foundation for biodiversity to flourish.
Measuring carbon capture in the ocean isn’t as simple as it is on land. Unlike terrestrial systems, where direct CO₂ measurements are effective, oceanic carbon dynamics are far more complex. That’s because CO₂ is only a small part of the ocean’s total carbon pool. The real driver of CO₂ exchange between the atmosphere and ocean is Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC)—a mix of carbon dioxide (CO₂), bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻), and carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻).
When CO₂ dissolves into seawater, it reacts to form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks down into bicarbonate and carbonate ions. These reactions are highly sensitive to pH and environmental conditions, making changes in DIC the key metric for understanding oceanic carbon capture.
Once the Blusink system is deployed, we track changes in DIC to measure the impact of our deployments. Our data consistently show that Blusinkies reduce DIC, creating a pressure gradient that pulls atmospheric CO₂ into the ocean. This process promotes carbon sequestration and helps establish natural carbon sinks. Read more about how DIC and Partial Pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) interact here.
