WASHINGTON and Woods Hole, Mass. (Sept. 17, 2026)— Marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has advanced significantly, with growing research activity, technological development, private-sector involvement, and movement toward field testing, but major questions remain about whether these approaches can remove carbon dioxide at meaningful scales, how that removal can be reliably measured and verified, potential environmental effects, and how marine CDR should be governed, says a new digital report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
More on the Research
A Research Strategy for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Sequestration was first published in 2022 (referred to as the 2022 report). The 2022 report evaluated the feasibility of marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approaches as a component of a broader climate mitigation strategy. The 2022 report included an assessment of six distinct marine CDR approaches identified by the study sponsor, tables of key research needs for evaluating the feasibility of each approach, and recommendations for advancing the field of marine CDR.
Since the publication of the 2022 report, the field of marine CDR has continued to evolve. In 2025, the National Academies’ established a standing committee to update and expand the 2022 report, with the goal of keeping the content current and relevant in a rapidly changing scientific, political, and societal landscape.
Direct Link to A Research Strategy for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Sequestration
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/pubs/29342/
Adapted from a news release issued by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and from report materials published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.