FLOATING SUBSTRATES FOR OFFSHORE CULTIVATION OF TARGET PRODUCTS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME
A method of using a floating substrate for cultivating a target product includes providing a naturally occurring material, and forming the naturally occurring material into a substrate. The substrate is deployed into a body of water. The substrate can be pre-seeded with a target product and/or can be configured attract the target product present in the body of water after being deployed. The substrate is allowed to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration when an amount of biomass accumulation of the target product is at least a threshold amount of biomass accumulation. In some instances, a buoyancy of the substrate in the first configuration may be greater than a threshold buoyancy and a buoyancy of the substrate in the second configuration may be less than the threshold buoyancy, thereby allowing the substrate and the target product to sink to a bottom of the body of water.
1 . A method, comprising:
forming a naturally occurring material into a substrate;
seeding the substrate with a target product;
deploying the substrate into a body of water;
allowing the target product to grow in the body of water and accumulate biomass;
allowing the substrate to transition from a buoyant configuration in which the substrate floats on the surface of the water, to a non-buoyant configuration in which the substrate sinks to the bottom of the body of water.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate transitions to the non-buoyant configuration as a result of at least a threshold amount of biomass accumulation.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the naturally occurring material is an agricultural product.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the naturally occurring material is a forest product.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes interposing the naturally occurring material between at least two sheets of a base layer.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes disposing the naturally occurring material into a bag formed of a base material.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes disposing the naturally occurring material into a tube formed of a base material.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target product is macroalgae
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an amount of carbon sequestered by the sinking of the macroalgae.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
selling a carbon credit associated with the amount of carbon sequestered by the macroalgae.
11 . A method, comprising:
seeding a substrate with macroalgae, the substrate comprising a naturally occurring material;
deploying the substrate into in a body of water;
allowing the macroalgae to grow in the body of water and accumulate biomass;
allowing the naturally occurring material to degrade after a period of time, the period of time being sufficient to allow the macroalgae to grow in the body of water and accumulate a threshold amount of biomass, the degradation of the naturally occurring material causing the substrate to passively lose buoyancy;
allowing the macroalgae and the substrate to sink to a floor of the body of water as a result of the degradation of the naturally occurring material.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the naturally occurring material is at least one of grasses, wood chips, hog fuel, corn cobs, coconut shells, coconut fibers, hemp, jute, compost, xanthum gum, agar, alginate, limestone (CaCO 3 ), dolomite (MgCa(CO 3 ) 2 ), dolostone, magnesite (MgCO 3 ), lime (CaO), slaked or hydrated lime (Ca(OH) 2 ), brucite (Mg(OH) 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), pumice, alkaline mafic rock, alkaline ultramafic rock, metal silicate minerals, metal oxides, carbonates, mycelium, salts, compressed gas, or combinations thereof.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate includes the naturally occurring material disposed between at least two sheets of a base material.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate includes the naturally occurring material disposed in a bag.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein an initial buoyancy of the substrate is greater than a threshold buoyancy.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate has a buoyancy less that the threshold buoyancy after the period of time.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the threshold buoyancy is based at least in part on a degree of negative buoyancy associated with the threshold amount of biomass accumulation.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the threshold buoyancy is based at least in part on an uptake of water into the substrate.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the threshold buoyancy is based at least in part on a loss of a lower-density component from the substrate.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the lower-density component of the substrate is a gas. 21 . A method of using a floating substrate for cultivating a target product, the method comprising:
providing a naturally occurring material;
forming the naturally occurring material into a substrate;
deploying the substrate into a body of water, the substrate being at least one of pre-seeded with a target product before being deployed or configured to attract target product present in the body of water so as to become seeded with the target product after being deployed; and
allowing the substrate to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration when an amount of biomass accumulation of the target product is at least a threshold amount of biomass accumulation.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein a buoyancy of the substrate in the first configuration is greater than a threshold buoyancy and a buoyancy of the substrate in the second configuration is less than the threshold buoyancy.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the threshold buoyancy is based at least in part on at least one of a degree of negative buoyancy associated with the threshold amount of biomass accumulation, an uptake of water into the substrate, or a loss of a lower-density component from the substrate.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the lower-density component of the substrate is a gas. 25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the threshold buoyancy is a minimum amount of positive buoyancy for flotation, the buoyancy of the substrate in the second configuration allowing the substrate and the target product to sink to a bottom of the body of water.
26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the naturally occurring material is at least one of an agricultural waste product or a forest waste product.
27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the naturally occurring material is at least one of grasses, wood chips, hog fuel, corn cobs, coconut shells, coconut fibers, hemp, jute, compost, xanthum gum, agar, alginate, limestone (CaCO 3 ), dolomite (MgCa(CO 3 ) 2 ), dolostone, magnesite (MgCO 3 ), lime (CaO), slaked or hydrated lime (Ca(OH) 2 ), brucite (Mg(OH) 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), pumice, alkaline mafic rock, alkaline ultramafic rock, metal silicate minerals, metal oxides, carbonates, mycelium, salts, compressed gas, or combinations thereof.
28 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes interposing the naturally occurring material between at least two sheets of a base layer.
29 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes disposing the naturally occurring material into a bag formed of a base material.
30 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the naturally occurring material into the substrate includes disposing the naturally occurring material into a tube formed of a base material.