nel blu™ ~ italian for into the blue
stories about the people, ideas, and investments shaping the future of our ocean
Bringing Seagrass Back to the Thames
The UK has lost nearly half of its seagrass meadows over the past century. Now, one of the country’s largest restoration efforts is working to reverse that trend.
As part of the new Transforming the Thames initiative, conservationists have transplanted hundreds of seagrass “cores” into the Greater Thames Estuary. Over time, the young plants are expected to expand into thriving underwater meadows that support marine life and strengthen the coastline.
Seahorse in the Thames
📸 Credit: ZSL
Why It Matters
Seagrass is one of the ocean’s most valuable ecosystems.
It provides nursery habitat for fish and other marine species, improves water quality by trapping sediment, stores significant amounts of carbon in the seabed, and helps protect coastlines by reducing wave energy and erosion.
Since 1936, the UK has lost an estimated 44% of its seagrass meadows because of pollution, declining water quality, and coastal development.
Looking Ahead
The five-year project brings together 20 organizations with a goal of restoring seagrass, oyster reefs, salt marshes, and other critical habitats across the Thames Estuary by 2030.
If successful, the effort will help strengthen one of the UK’s most important coastal ecosystems while supporting wildlife ranging from seahorses and European eels to sharks, and improving resilience for the millions of people who live along the estuary.
Small-spotted Catshark in seagrass
📸 Credit: ZSL
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Sources: Oceanographic & Transforming the Thames
The Buyers Shaping Carbon Removal
The hardest question in climate technology isn't whether a new idea can work. It's whether anyone will pay to scale it.
That is the problem Frontier was built to solve.
Frontier is a coalition of major companies, including Stripe, Google, Shopify, Salesforce, H&M Group, McKinsey Sustainability, and Anthropic, that agrees to buy carbon removal years before the technology is commercially viable. Rather than investing directly in startups, it signs long-term purchase agreements, giving companies the predictable revenue they need to raise capital, build facilities, and scale.
This month, Frontier announced another $915 million in future carbon removal purchases, bringing its total commitment to $1.8 billion.
Why It Matters
Reducing emissions is only part of the climate equation.
Many scientists believe we will also need to remove carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere, especially to offset industries that are nearly impossible to fully clean up. The obstacle has always been getting those technologies out of the lab and into the world. By guaranteeing future demand, Frontier makes it easier for companies to secure financing and build at scale.
The Five Technologies Frontier Is Backing
Frontier believes five technologies show the greatest potential to scale over the coming decades:
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE): Adding alkaline minerals to seawater to increase the ocean’s natural ability to absorb and permanently store carbon dioxide.
Surficial Mineralization: Accelerating the natural process by which mine tailings and industrial waste absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Enhanced Rock Weathering: Applying crushed minerals to farmland, where they naturally capture CO₂.
Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage (BiCRS): Converting plant material into long-term carbon storage.
Direct Air Capture (DAC): Using machines to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air.
Notably, Frontier believes both Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement and Surficial Mineralization have the potential to remove more than 10 gigatons of CO₂ annually, making them two of the most promising pathways under development.
The Market Is Maturing
Frontier’s announcement also highlights how quickly the sector is evolving. Since launching in 2022, the coalition has contracted nearly $700 million across more than 50 carbon removal projects, and expects its portfolio companies to remove more than 50,000 tons of CO₂ this year.
For a market that barely existed a few years ago, that is real momentum.
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Sources: Frontier
OCEAN
Wonder of the Week
📸 Credit: The Ocean Image Bank & Jeff Hester
What You’re Looking At:
A sea lion and her pup glide through a seagrass meadow. These underwater habitats serve as nurseries for marine life, improve water quality, capture carbon, and buffer coastlines from storms. Their health supports an entire web of life, from tiny invertebrates to top predators like seals.
EVENTS
Save the Date
Climate Week NYC • September 20th - 27th
Every September, New York becomes the center of gravity for climate finance, corporate sustainability, and global environmental policy.
Climate Week NYC is one of the world’s largest climate-focused gatherings, bringing together government leaders, investors, CEOs, philanthropies, and civil society organizations for hundreds of events across the city.
For ocean advocates, this year’s conversations are expected to focus on blue carbon, coastal resilience, offshore renewable energy, and financing for ocean-based climate solutions.
If someone in your life needs more ocean optimism — pass this newsletter along.