How can blue biomass contribute to a more sustainable built environment?

The implementation of a circular bioeconomy in the construction industry is a necessary strategy to tackle our global climate crisis. With any single solution having practical and environmental limitations, it is clear that creating a material palette of renewable biogenic building materials will expands access to bio-based construction. Photosynthetic organisms, including marine biomass such as seaweeds and microalgae, utilise solar energy to sequester CO₂, producing biomolecules that can be harnessed for a variety of biomaterials. Organisms such as mussels and oysters mineralise carbon into shells that are often dis-carded as residues. These second- and third-generation feedstocks present an opportunity to decarbonise the construction industry. However, we need to better understand how to renew our relationship to this resource in a sustainable manner. This question seeks to explore how we can design and fabricate with, and for, blue biomass materials.