And with algae my mind switches to the oceans. Ocean water's actually got lithium deposits and other things that, if we could get to them, would be useful. So it'd be cool if algae + science could somehow output the oceans contents in more industrial friendly formats. Especially if that meant carbon sequestration.
That's an interesting take. I was thinking more along the lines of huge (albeit expensive) algae bioreactors in empty deserts for a more controlled GMO environment, but one that would allow for much more accelerated carbon capture to desired outputs, like biodiesel, plastic precursors, etc.
It's true the oceans are filled with aqueous rare metals, but the volume is such you'd need a fast-processing mobile operation, and like the other commenter said, I'm not sure we need another anthropogenic operation harvesting from the ocean.
Hint: we are already screwing with the ocean on a mass industrial scale. The question should be whether there is a way for any given activity to help mitigate the more harmful of those effects.
Changing nothing is actively harmful, and anyway impossible. Human activity is big enough that the only responsible course available is stewardship.
Literally all actors are doing whatever they like, today.
Most particularly, they are dissolving gigatons of CO2 into surface water, acidifying it.
Besides that, a few are trying to control overfishing in coastal waters they have asserted a day over, with varying levels of success, both externally and domestically, subject to politics.
