Global warming means that mankind needs to find ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere. In this video, SILVIA VIDAL MELGOSA highlights the fact that microalgae remove as much carbon as all plants on land and considers what we can learn from these natural processes. Collecting samples during a three month microalgae bloom in the North Sea, Vidal Melgosa underlines the fascinating role played by the polysaccharide molecule sulfated fucan. Resistant to bacteria and encouraging the formation of heavier particles that can sink and thereby store carbon at the bottom of the ocean for millennia, Vidal Melgosa’s analysis of sulfated fucan shows how it could make an important contribution to blue carbon strategies. Further research will explore the global relevance of these findings while also analyzing the contribution of different microalgal polysaccharides.

LT Video Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101035