Company’s Carbon Credits Raise Questions About Unproven Ocean Technology to Combat Global Warming
By Helen Wieffering
July 3, 2025
A startup named Gigablue, founded three years ago by Israeli entrepreneurs, has captured attention with its ambitious approach to fighting climate change through ocean-based carbon capture technology. The company recently announced the sale of 200,000 carbon credits, a milestone it describes as groundbreaking for its innovative method of capturing and storing carbon dioxide in the ocean. However, the announcement has sparked skepticism among scientists and industry experts, who question the efficacy and scientific transparency of Gigablue’s technology.
The Technology and Claims
Gigablue claims to have engineered proprietary particles that, when released into the ocean, stimulate the growth of phytoplankton—microscopic algae that absorb carbon dioxide—before sinking rapidly to the ocean floor, theoretically sequestering carbon for centuries. The founding team emphasizes that their technology leverages natural ocean processes, positioning the company’s particles as an "elevator for carbon" that transfers CO2 from surface waters deep into the sea, thereby reducing atmospheric carbon levels.
The company has run trials beginning last year in the South Pacific, including off the coast of Dunedin, New Zealand, where it tested its particles inside floating circular enclosures called booms. Gigablue envisions establishing permanent "sequestration fields" in ocean regions, releasing pulses of particles seasonally to continuously generate carbon credits.
Carbon Credits and Industry Context
Carbon credits represent a growing but controversial market wherein businesses purchase credits to offset their emissions without directly reducing their carbon footprint. The credits sold by Gigablue are earmarked to SkiesFifty, a new company focusing on greener aviation practices. With this deal, Gigablue has secured the largest sale to date among ocean-based carbon capture startups, marking a significant commercial push in a relatively unregulated sector.
While carbon credits can be a useful tool for financing climate solutions, they have been criticized for inconsistent oversight and, in some cases, fraud. Critics argue that without rigorous scientific validation, the credits may not represent genuine or permanent carbon removal.
Scientific Scrutiny and Transparency Concerns
Despite Gigablue’s marketing, outside researchers have expressed frustration over the company’s lack of transparency, particularly regarding the exact composition of its particles—a crucial factor for evaluating environmental safety and effectiveness. Gigablue has kept the materials proprietary, citing customization depending on ocean conditions and seasons.
Available information from permits and patents indicates the particles may contain materials such as vermiculite (a type of porous clay), ground rock, plant-based waxes, manganese, iron, and even synthetic components like polyester fibers. The presence of metals and chemicals raises questions about potential ecological impacts, which remain unaddressed in public disclosures.
Scientists highlight that while phytoplankton play a natural role in carbon cycling, artificially amplifying their growth and ensuring long-term sequestration in the deep ocean is still under active research with no consensus on scalability or unintended consequences.
Founders and Vision
Gigablue’s leadership includes tech entrepreneurs with backgrounds in artificial intelligence, data mining, and environmental sciences. CEO Ori Shaashua spearheads the company’s focus on using AI to create a "digital twin" of the ocean, guiding particle deployment based on data analytics. Chief Technology Officer Sapir Markus-Alford, an earth and environmental sciences graduate, has a personal connection to ocean health, inspired by firsthand encounters with coral bleaching.
The company has expanded operations beyond Israel to hubs in New York and New Zealand, advertising a mission framed as a global crusade to "save the world."
Industry Implications
Gigablue’s rapid commercial progress shines a light on the challenges facing the ocean carbon capture industry—a field characterized by ambitious technological promises but limited empirical validation and regulatory oversight. As companies race to meet global carbon removal targets, the balance between innovation and verification remains critical.
For now, Gigablue’s pioneering efforts represent both a bold attempt at climate innovation and a cautionary tale about the risks of investment without established scientific consensus. The stakes are high as the world awaits more transparency, rigorous peer-reviewed research, and policy frameworks to ensure that such ocean-based carbon solutions live up to their promise without harming the planet’s delicate marine ecosystems.
Photo Caption: Circular floating booms containing Gigablue’s patented particles drift near a research vessel off the coast of Dunedin, New Zealand. The company aims to use these particles to grow phytoplankton that absorb carbon dioxide from the ocean. (Gigablue via AP, File)
For more updates on climate technology and ocean science, follow our continuing coverage.
