Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) are testing whether seaweed that clogs coastlines can become a water-cleaning material. The project focuses on sargassum, a brown macroalga, and its conversion into enhanced biochar.
Myno Carbon, a Sarasota-based biochar company, has been selected to join the effort. It will contribute pyrolysis expertise. Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts biomass into stable, carbon-rich material.
UF professor Dengjun (Kevin) Wang leads the study, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4. The team combines expertise in water quality, biochar science and pyrolysis.
The plan follows a circular path. Researchers will collect sargassum from coastal areas and process it into biochar. They will then test how well the material removes contaminants and improves water quality. Oyster beds are one focus, where the biochar might capture or immobilize pollutants.
The timing is relevant. University of South Florida researchers expect 2026 to rank as at least the second-largest sargassum year in the satellite record, behind 2025. Large masses washing ashore can affect ecosystems, tourism and coastal communities.
Wang said the seaweed is a challenge but also a biomass resource with possible environmental uses.
For Myno, the project builds on work with enhanced biochar for remediation of PFAS, petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The company calls its approach Biochar 3.0, which aims at designed carbon materials for specific applications rather than soil amendments alone. Myno CEO and co-founder Thor Kallestad said the project shows what next-generation biochar could do.
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