Cooling the oceans with bubbles: an exciting potential pathway 

Undercurrent, founded by Kelly and Shaun Kinetic, Lea Eaton, and Lauren Murray, is a targeted research venture conducting cutting-edge research into the feasibility of cooling the ocean with nano-bubbles.

Their pioneering research will explore an idea that has so far only been explored in theory: can wave power be used to generate a cloud of nanobubbles that will deflect solar radiation and prevent further ocean warming?

The ocean absorbs 90% of excess heat from greenhouse gases, and is therefore heating at a dangerous rate. If we can halt that cooling and even reverse it, it would help stabilize global temperatures.

CarbonFix’s grant, along with funding from the Navigation Fund and the Kissick Family Foundation, will enable Undercurrent to explore how long bubbles would survive in the ocean, whether they could be generated via wave power, whether they would provide sufficient cooling, and what kind of side-effects it might have for local ecosystems. Once they have answered those questions, they can disseminate their ideas so that others can begin implementing and further developing the concept.  

Our aim with funding Undercurrent is primarily to validate their hypotheses and explore whether this is a viable pathway. We couldn’t bear the idea of not exploring this all-natural solution that has the potential to deliver so much. 

We’re excited to see what Undercurrent find in their research — and hope that they can help us unlock a promising new pathway. Read an interview with co-founder Kelly Kinetic here.