Speaker

About the speaker: 

Lorena Neira is a climate scientist turned entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Blusink. Her background spans climate research, materials science, and biological oceanography, with hands-on experience from open-ocean climate research expeditions and as a co-inventor of a patented technology for marine carbon removal. Lorena has served as an Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), a START Global mentor for science-driven founders, and a reviewer for the AI for Nature Challenge of the Bezos Earth Fund. She has been recognized by the Falling Walls Foundation, the St. Gallen Symposium, and the Daughters of the Earth Circle. Through Blusink, which she leads, Lorena focuses on integrating ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) with marine ecosystem restoration, exploring how carbon removal technologies can be embedded within seaweed, seafloor, and nature-based

restoration systems to enhance carbon durability while strengthening marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Company info:

Blusink is an ocean-based carbon removal company developing regenerative technologies that permanently remove CO₂ while restoring marine ecosystems. Blusink upcycles alkaline mineral waste into modular ceramic “Blusinkies” that buffer seawater chemistry and replenish carbonate ions, restoring barren to living seafloor habitats that store carbon and enhance biodiversity. Designed for deployment on underused seafloors, Blusink’s approach integrates Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) with ecosystem restoration, enabling durable, verifiable carbon removal that strengthens marine resilience over decades.

Presentation: 

Ocean carbon removal is often developed in isolation from marine ecosystems, creating trade-offs between climate mitigation and nature. This talk explores how ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) can be intentionally embedded into marine ecosystem restoration, from seaweeds to seafloors, to deliver durable carbon removal while strengthening biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Drawing on Blusink’s work, it presents a systems-level approach where carbon removal becomes a regenerative function of living marine habitats rather than an external intervention.