Sea farms of all sizes from all countries are eligible.

The only other criteria are that your company must be able to:

1. Accurately weigh your wet carbon crop upon harvest within a predetermined margin of error.

2. Transport the wet carbon crop out to sea and sink the harvested crop at depths of more than 1000 m.

3. Provide the Collective with a sample of your harvested carbon crop for carbon-content analysis. 

NOTE: We pay you based on the carbon crop plot size (in hectares) and wet tonnage of your crop. We do not pay you by your harvested crop's carbon content.  However, we need carbon-content analysis for accurate recording of the amount of carbon captured by your carbon crop. 

We support all seaweed and kelp crops for capturing carbon.  Different species ~ and even the same species in different locations and year to year ~ will have different crop yields for carbon. 

Therefore, each crop will need to be sampled and analyzed at the time of harvest to determine the carbon yield for that particular crop.

Let's get started!

1.  Join the Collective.  To start, fill out the quick form on the site.

2.  Basic Information.  During our initial correspondence, we will ask for the following information:

• The location(s) of your sea farm(s).
• The type(s) of algae crops you grow.
• The growing season (planting months, harvesting months, how many crops per calendar year).
• The size of your current sea farm by crop type in hectares.
• The maximum number of hectares available to you for additional carbon crops.

3. Your First Carbon Crop.  We will also need to know:

• The plot size (in hectares) you plan for your first carbon crop (one-half hectare minimum). 
• The number of (wet) kilograms you expect to be produced by your carbon plot (e.g. kilograms per hectare per growing season).
• The start-up costs of establishing your first carbon crop farm plot.  E.g., costs of stakes, rope lines, floats, fencing, seedline, and labour.

4. Sampling Laboratory.  With you, we will determine the nearest qualified laboratory to conduct the necessary carbon content analysis of your carbon crops.

5. Delivery Location.  Your carbon crop will need to be "delivered" at a designated location at sea where the depth exceeds 1000 meters.  This depth ensures the carbon is sequestered permanently.  We will work with you to determine a process, hire a vessel, identify a suitable location, and obtain proper licensing.

6. Third-Party Verifier.  Our Carbon Credit Protocol also requires that we hire an independent third-party, such as an engineering firm, to perform regular verification of crop weight, carbon analysis, and completed delivery.

7.  Contract.  We enter a contract with you based on your sale price for a crop based on your expected yield.  The end price includes all the start-up, carbon analysis, and delivery costs, plus your profit. 

8.  Payment Schedule.  Funds are put in an escrow account for you to draw on based on an agreed schedule.  For example, funds covering the seed and planting costs will be released as needed.

9.  Final Payment.  You receive your final payment upon the completion of the contract (i.e. the carbon crop is successfully harvested, weighed, and sunk at the agreed location).

10.  Successive Crops.  We will continue to purchase your carbon crops on a regular basis.  Start-up costs will be covered each time you expand carbon crop production.   However, start-up costs will not be covered for successive crops from established carbon crop plots.

The SeaCat Carbon Credit Protocol are the conditions that must be met for a Member's crop to be accredited as a "SeaCat Carbon Crop" and for SeaCat to issue associated carbon credits.  The basic Protocol is:

1. The SeaCat Carbon Crop must be used for carbon capture only.  No part of the crop can be diverted or used for other purposes.  To meet this condition, SeaCat pays farmers to establish separate farm plots dedicated solely to carbon capture.

2. Upon harvest, a sample must be taken from the crop to be analyzed for carbon content by a recognized laboratory, such as a local university.

3. Upon harvest, the crop must be accurately weighed, recorded, and verified by a recognized third party.   The third party must be approved by SeaCat and may vary depending on local availability.  Verification procedures and margin of error (+/-) are to be determined.

4. Upon being weighed, the entire weight of the crop must be transported and sunk at sea depths greater than 1000m.  A recognized third party must also verify this.

5. Farmers record all carbon associated with the carbon crop, from seeding to sequestration.  For example, the Farmer must record all fuel consumption (type and volume, e.g. diesel in litres) for planting, tending, harvesting, and transporting the carbon crop.  The purpose is to get a more accurate measure of the net amount of carbon captured by the crop.

6. SeaCat calculates total net captured by the crop: [(wet weight in kg) x (carbon content per kg ~ as per lab analysis) - (carbon of fuel inputs)].

7.  Two certificates are issued: a non-saleable Farm Certificate recording the amount of carbon captured by the farm's crop for that season and a corresponding Buyer's Certificate (Retired) recording the amount of carbon caught and retired (sequestered). 

The SeaCat Protocol meets or exceeds all five criteria for the highest quality carbon credit, giving members an advantage over all other nature-based carbon solutions.  These are:

Additionality: Projects are unable to exist without revenue derived from carbon credits.

SeaCat pays member farms to add separate farm plots dedicated only to growing carbon crops.  One hundred percent of the carbon captured by the SeaCat carbon crop is sequestered.  The creation of the carbon crops and their sequestration would not occur without SeaCat funding. 

Verification: Monitored, reported, and verified by a credible third party.

The Protocol will employ recognized third parties to verify all critical points and will adhere to any additional protocol requirements of the third parties. 

Permanence: Carbon reduction or removal will not be reversed for at least 100 years.

By sinking the Carbon Crop at depths of more than 1000m, the carbon is considered to be sequestered on a geological timescale ~ that is, for thousands of years.

Measurability: Calculated according to scientific data through a recognized methodology.

The Protocol's measurement processes (e.g. of crop weight and carbon content) will be the most accurate in all carbon markets.

Avoid Leakage: An increase in emissions should not occur elsewhere or account for any that do occur.

The increase in carbon emissions attributable to the use of fossil fuels during the entire process will be measured, recorded, and accounted for in the Carbon Certificates.

Source (and an excellent primer on Carbon Credits and Carbon Markets): The Visual Capitalist's Complete Guide to Carbon Markets.

As a sea farmer, your crops are already catching carbon and you are already doing far more for the climate than most industries.

Unfortunately, your current crops do not meet two core criteria to be considered for high-quality carbon credits.

1. Additionality.  High-quality carbon credits can only be given for carbon that is captured for no other purpose.  Your existing crops grown for processed products are capturing carbon, but the carbon is not considered to be "additional" because the carbon would be captured with or without a carbon credit.

2. Permanent.  High-quality carbon credits require the captured carbon to be stored for at least 100 years.  With seaweed and kelp products there will be leakage of carbon back into the atmosphere during processing and consumption.

The good news is that your crops that follow the Sea Cat Carbon Credit Protocol will meet or exceed all five criteria for the highest quality carbon credit.  This gives Collective members a distinct competitive advantage.

Yes!  Sell your additional crops (i.e. not crops we are buying) to whoever and whenever you can.  We will never slow your success in any way ~ as a business or in catching carbon.

Please Note: To market your carbon crop to other buyers as eligible for carbon certification by Sea Cat you still must follow the Sea Cat Carbon Credit Protocol.

For more information, connect with Mike Dickhout:

mike@firstgigaton.com

Call/Text: +1 250 327 8910

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sea Cat Sea Farmers Carbon Collective (sea.cat) is the growers/supply side of the world's first Algae-Powered Rapid Carbon Removal Market. 

The Collective brings together kelp farms of all sizes from around the globe to "crowdsource" and pool a portion of their seaweed and kelp crops dedicated solely for carbon capture. 

Sea Cat is the exclusive supplier to the First Gigaton Carbon Collective.

First Gigaton Global Citizens Carbon Collective (firstgigaton.com) is the buying/demand side of the Market.  This Collective gives citizens, communities, and companies a complete range of unique and sustainable carbon crowdfunding solutions.  First Gigaton's revenue powers the rapid scaling of the algae-carbon operations of the Farmers Collective.

First Gigaton is a start-up located on Canada's west coast on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples and the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (Nanaimo, BC). 

Our Mission is to remove atmospheric carbon fast enough to prevent catastrophic climate change and restore a stable, thriving biosphere.

Our Algae-Powered Rapid Carbon Removal Market removes carbon fast, measurably, and permanently.  Most importantly, by being decentralized and crowd-based, it is the ultimate scaleable and durable solution.

The Sea Cat Sea Farmers Carbon Collective (sea.cat) is the growers/supply side of the Market.  The Farmers Collective brings together kelp farms of all sizes from around the globe to "crowdsource" a growing portion of their seaweed and kelp crops dedicated solely for carbon capture.

First Gigaton Carbon Collective (firstgigaton.com) is the buyers/demand side of the Market.  This Collective crowdfunds the rapid scaling of the production capacity of the Sea Farmers Collective.  First Gigaton does this by providing citizens, communities, and companies with a complete range of unique and sustainable carbon-funding solutions. 

Our Goal is to capture (you guessed it) the first gigaton of global carbon emissions.  All our captured carbon will be measured, verified, and sunk at depth in oceans around the world.  Then we'll just keep scaling until we have a stable climate and thriving biosphere.

Our Vision is for members of both collectives to be able to tell our grandkids and great-grandkids that we removed that first gigaton and led the movement that reversed climate change . . .

"And now this beautiful world is yours."