Testing and future prospects
According to Sharma, introducing clay not only halved the amount of carbon released back into the atmosphere but also increased the concentration of sticky carbon-capturing particles tenfold. At the same time, populations of carbon-releasing bacteria dropped significantly in clay-treated seawater.

This enhanced marine snow accelerates carbon burial through a dual mechanism: uneaten flocs grow larger as they sink, collecting additional organic matter, while the plankton expedite the process with their feces, which also sink faster due to the added clay.

The diel vertical migration of zooplankton—where these tiny creatures ascend to the surface to feed at night and return to the depths by day—amplifies this process. Their nightly migration, comparable in scale to an entire town moving hundreds of miles to dine, actively transports carbon-rich material deeper into the ocean.