The unpredictable tariff policies of U.S. President Donald Trump have kept the geopolitical situation uncertain, boosting the demand for gold as a safe-haven asset, with market expectations that gold prices will continue to rise.
Over the past week, gold futures prices have increased by 1.76%, closing at $2917.70 per ounce. The spot price of gold has also risen, up 1.77% over the past week, closing at $2909.10 per ounce.
In this context, the discovery of gold is of great importance. Biotechnology company BPH Global (ASX: BP8) claims to have found extracts of gold and copper in seaweed as part of an ongoing research project aimed at extracting precious and base metals from seawater.
The company hypothesizes that seaweed can absorb higher concentrations of minerals from polluted waters compared to uncontaminated waters, much like a sponge absorbing these minerals. This suggests that seaweed can act as a “natural miner,” absorbing valuable metals from seawater.
The latest tests, conducted by Singapore’s Temasek Innovations Holdings (TPIH) in collaboration with Gaia Mariculture, showed that seaweed cultivated in clean, filtered seawater off Sentosa Island contained gold concentrations as high as 14.85 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and copper concentrations up to 10.88 mg/kg.
Managing Director Matthew Leonard stated in a release, “The presence of gold and copper, along with the previously discovered cobalt and silver, marks another exciting milestone in our research. These results further support our view that seaweed has the potential to absorb base and precious metals from seawater like a sponge. We look forward to further investigating this in the second phase of R&D.”
The first phase of BPH Global’s research focused on cultivating Sesuvium portulacastrum seaweed in a controlled laboratory environment free from industrial or urban pollution. Initial tests confirmed high levels of silver and cobalt, prompting additional tests for gold and copper.
The second phase of the research will move to polluted brackish waters in Johor, Malaysia, to explore whether mineral absorption increases under less pristine conditions.
