Plans For 1st 'Carbon-Negative' Beach Unveiled In Hamptons

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A new shoreline restoration project to remove carbon dioxide from the air was launched in Southampton recently

Using 650 tons of olivine sand, local officials joined forces with climate scientists to turn Southampton’s North Sea Beach into the world’s newest “carbon-negative” beach, officials said.

Along with the Westhampton-based First Coastal Corporation, Vesta and the North Sea Beach Colony, the Town of Southampton will add olivine sand to an ongoing shoreline restoration project to remove carbon dioxide from the air as part of a two-year scientific test.

"If successful, this process — known as Coastal Carbon Capture — could make it possible to turn shorelines worldwide into eco-friendly defenses against greenhouse gas emissions and ocean acidification," officials said in a release.

Olivine, officials added is a natural mineral which is converted into beach-compatible sand. The olivine sand used at North Sea Beach has been tested to address any potential concerns about ecological safety and will not affect normal beach use, all involved added.

“The work we begin today will not only help to restore our beloved North Sea Beach shoreline but will help it become a symbol of what is possible for beaches around the world,” said Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

“We are grateful to the Town of Southampton for their embrace of this cutting-edge practice,” said Vesta CEO Tom Green. “Coastal communities like Southampton are on the front lines facing rising sea levels, and we think olivine sand will be a game-changer for Coastal Carbon Capture and other climate tech efforts.”

Researchers from Stony Brook University and Cornell University will also collect and analyze data from North Sea Beach over the next two years.