In the rolling blue expanse of the Tasman Sea, Danaerys – Blue Carbon’s pioneering oPod – pumped life into the waters for the first time. For Ana Novak, CEO and co-founder of Blue Carbon, the sight was both extraordinary and humbling. “A whale surfaced nearby, as if offering a silent blessing,” she recalls with quiet reverence. Born from a conversation with her children about the urgency of the climate crisis, Blue Carbon stands at the forefront of ocean-based innovation, turning nature’s oldest systems into solutions for our planet’s future. It’s a venture born in deep-seated belief in working with Earth’s natural forces.
Nature already has a solution; we just need to connect to it.
Novak’s career has crossed disciplines as diverse as telecommunications, defence, and development diplomacy, but it’s in the unpredictable vastness of the ocean that she’s found her true purpose. Blue Carbon’s oPod technology harnesses wave energy to unlock the ocean’s capacity to capture carbon, restore marine ecosystems, and support sustainable aquaculture, all without competing for arable land or external energy. “Nature already has a solution, we just need to connect to it,” Novak says.
As climate systems edge toward irreversible tipping points, her work proves that scalable, nature-positive solutions are possible. Even better, they’re already underway.
Can you share a bit about your background and journey thus far? What initially drew you to this field, and what are some of the highlights of your work so far?
Ana Novak: My background is in telecommunications, computer science, and applied mathematics. Over the years, I’ve worked across science, industry, defence, and even development diplomacy. I’m grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had, especially being able to contribute meaningfully to the Australian Defence Force—leading projects where I earned Gold and Bronze Commendations and was recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Eureka Prize. These honors hold deep personal value.
My entry into the climate tech space is familiar to many: that pivotal conversation with your kids about what you’re doing to address the climate crisis. For me, as I dug into it, I realized that it wasn’t just a climate crisis but a polycrisis, with every Earth system under pressure. Even defence forces were facing mounting challenges as they were increasingly called upon to respond to the growing number and severity of natural disasters in civilian arenas.
In 2021, I co-founded Blue Carbon with Eva Chiu, a seasoned serial entrepreneur with four successful ventures, deep expertise in finance and manufacturing, and 16 years of impactful service as the Charter President of Rotary. Together, we combined our unique skills and experiences to create a true yin-yang partnership in tackling the climate challenge head-on. Our mission: to develop renewably powered, self-sustaining solutions that work seamlessly with nature, creating lasting benefits for both the planet and the economy.
That’s the beginning of Blue Carbon. Along the way, the journey has been tough but exhilarating – connecting with extraordinary people, navigating steep learning curves, and proving our concept among fearsome seas and brutal bouts of seasickness! We’ve been developing our oPod™ technology for three years now, conducting five previous ocean trials and currently undertaking a commercial prototype durability trial—six trials in total. We’ve finished our beginning, but there’s still plenty of journey ahead.
We aim to connect different systems and ways of thinking, allowing us to build on what’s been done before and learn from our own work. Seeing the data—like surprisingly high flow rates even with barely any waves, or nutrient levels at the surface over 300% higher than baseline—is incredibly motivating. It means nature already has a solution; we just need to connect to it.
We feel humbled at Blue Carbon to have been nominated for the 2025 Earthshot Prize by AgriFutures Australia and Ocean Impact Organisation, named a Global Food Shot finalist in 2024, and most recently invited to speak at the World Economic Forum in January 2025. These honors reassure us that we’re heading in the right direction and encourage us to keep moving forward.
The ocean isn’t a limitless resource of fish or an infinite garbage dump. It’s a complex and intricate machine of immense power.
Blue Carbon is dedicated to unlocking the ocean’s potential as a carbon sink. Can you elaborate on how ocean-based solutions can contribute to achieving net-zero goals and what unique challenges they present?
Ana Novak: The ocean plays a central role, not only as a primary source of all life on the planet but also as a main stabilizer of global processes. This is why, for us at Blue Carbon, the ultimate focus is on the ocean.
The scale of the ocean is immediately obvious, but its potential may not be. Half of all our oxygen comes from the ocean, primarily produced by microscopic algae called phytoplankton. These organisms consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, a process that transformed the hazy, methane-rich skies of early Earth into the clear, oxygen-rich skies we know today. Phytoplankton grow by dividing—1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 4, and so on—creating green fertile islands so large they can be seen from space in just one month. Some of these algae die and sink to the ocean floor, taking carbon with them and storing it for hundreds to thousands of years. The opportunity to work alongside nature in this well-established global process excites me. It’s a sobering reminder of our interconnectedness with the planet.
Additionally, phytoplankton form the base of the marine food chain, feeding zooplankton, small fish, crustaceans like krill, and larger marine animals such as sharks and whales. A portion of this animal matter—for example, krill excrement—sinks to the depths, taking carbon with it. While we know the carbon is sinking as it has for billions of years, quantifying how much remains a challenge.
To address this, we’ve developed a white paper outlining our methodology. Our biogeochemist, Dr. Martin Mathew, has created a process to measure nutrients in local waters, track phytoplankton growth using satellite imagery, and model both the predicted growth of phytoplankton and the proportion that sinks to the seafloor. By combining accepted scientific modeling with precise local measurement, we can produce long-term, high-quality carbon removal credits at scale. Our calculations suggest that just 66 oPods could remove a million tons of carbon from the atmosphere over ten years.
You’ve mentioned Blue Carbon’s tech solution, oPod, as key to unlocking the ocean’s potential. What are some of the most innovative technologies you’re using to harness this power, and how scalable are these solutions?
Ana Novak: Our approach uses direct wave motion to bring deep, cool water to the surface. By employing simple mechanical methods with as few moving parts as possible, we aim for real durability. Previous renewable-powered upwelling attempts have only lasted days. Achieving lasting durability in the planet’s harshest environment is the final hurdle, but once crossed, the true potential of the ocean can be unlocked.
We also use solar and wind energy to supplement wave movement during calm conditions. So far, even very small waves (less than 30 cm) have produced significant water flow. This capability means our oPods can be used near shore to supply water for fish farming, oyster and mussel farming, and to help diffuse brine from desalination plants.
Persistent data flow is the holy grail for industry efficiency and ocean data enthusiasts. The onboard sensors in each oPod are critically important for measuring nutrient flow for seaweed farms, salinity for desalination, and dissolved oxygen and water temperature for aquaculture. What makes the oPod unique is its role as a physical agent interacting with the oceanic environment, subtly influencing local conditions while collecting valuable data. This data can be integrated into reinforcement learning algorithms, enhancing our understanding of the oceans and supporting the development of new ocean-based solutions.
The modular design of the oPod network allows for easy scaling, with no requirement for external energy, minimal infrastructure, and no competition for arable land. It offers a practical, sustainable way to create a net positive impact on the ocean, biodiversity, and the climate.
Seeing the data – like nutrient levels at the surface over 300% higher than baseline – reminds us that nature already holds the answers; we just need to work with it.
How do you envision the role of marine ecosystems in a nature-positive future, and what steps can we take today to ensure their protection and restoration?
Ana Novak: The ocean has the space and potential to change the way we work within our planet’s boundaries. As land and agricultural pressures increase, with the global population expected to climb from 8 billion to 10 billion by 2050, the ocean’s potential for sustainable food production will become increasingly significant. By working with nature and using its systems to regenerate our efforts, we can move away from wasteful models that harm the planet. Currently, we produce, on average, an extra third of food that is instantly wasted. Becoming more efficient with resources begins by understanding how to work with our natural environment, not against it.
The ocean isn’t a limitless resource of fish or an infinite garbage dump. It’s a complex and intricate machine of immense power. The amount of untapped energy held by the ocean is equivalent to the energy used by our entire civilization. By nurturing marine ecosystems – replenishing fish stocks, restoring kelp forests, and rebuilding whale populations – we can rebalance the ocean, returning it to full power. If we fail to act, the ocean becomes more acidic, reducing life, and warmer, increasing the frequency and intensity of hurricanes. Imagine a world where hurricanes double in number and strength, and we’re already spending billions annually on storm damage. We must stop fighting the waves and start riding them.
When thinking about scalable solutions for nature and climate impact, what role do you believe technology and data play? Could you share examples where technology has amplified the impact of sustainability efforts?
To support the ocean in healing itself, we developed the non-invasive oPod technology, which feeds into nature’s intricate machinery. Essentially, it mimics the ocean’s natural vertical circulation patterns, stimulating life and turbocharging nature’s original carbon capture system: photosynthesis. While we humans cannot significantly influence global processes on a changing planet, we can moderate them through non-invasive cooperation with the ocean.
Data is our starting point, which is why we integrated sensors into the oPod. During testing off Stradbroke Island, our “aha” moment came when we measured an 8-degree temperature difference from depth to surface, proving local surface temperatures could be lowered using renewable wave movement. This breakthrough offers significant potential for protecting the Great Barrier Reef against coral bleaching. As we progress, every interaction with potential partners begins with relevant data points, focusing on what matters most.
As we reflect on the progress and challenges of this past year, what is one moment, achievement, or insight that gives you the most hope for a sustainable, net-zero, and nature-positive future?
Ana Novak: One moment that stands out for me is the day we launched our oPod-002, affectionately nicknamed “Danaerys,” into the open waters of the Tasman Sea. Seeing her come to life and witnessing her “heart” pump for the first time felt extraordinary. To make the moment even more magical, a whale surfaced nearby as if offering a silent blessing. We embraced this as a good omen for the journey ahead.
The construction and deployment were local efforts, and it became clear that once people “got it,” they fell in love with Danaerys and the vision behind Blue Carbon. These were practical, hard-nosed engineers, welders, and mariners—individuals who understand that the ocean is an unpredictable force of nature. You cannot negotiate with it. My greatest hope is that we learn to accept this truth and use it as a foundation for building meaningful climate solutions.
Read this story and more features in the January 2025 issue of Impact Leadership – a digital magazine for leaders inspiring sustainability, net zero and impact. Access all magazines here.
