The funding is part of the new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Critical Mineral Extraction from Ocean Macroalgal Biomass Exploratory Topic aimed at evaluating the capabilities of macroalgal varieties to accumulate critical minerals and the ability to efficiently extract these minerals in an economically viable form.
So what?
This move can diversify sources of these minerals, reducing reliance on traditional mining methods and potentially increasing the overall supply. It helps conserve terrestrial ecosystems and reduces environmental impacts associated with land-based mining activities.
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