A team at Stony Brook University has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the potential of an ancient aquatic fern, Azolla, in offsetting carbon emissions. The project aims to determine whether this fast-growing plant, which played a role in a significant global cooling event 50 million years ago, could be used as a modern solution for carbon sequestration.
“This plant has already cooled the world once, so we think that we can harness it to do it again,” said Sharon Pochron, project lead and assistant professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.
Azolla is notable for its rapid growth and ability to fix nitrogen through symbiosis with cyanobacteria. During the Eocene epoch, Azolla covered large areas of freshwater in the Arctic, drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide from about 3,000 parts per million to 400 parts per million over roughly 8,000 years. This process involved converting carbon dioxide into sugars and quickly increasing its biomass, then sequestering carbon as dead plants sank to the ocean floor.
The NSF funding will allow researchers Jackie Collier, Liliana Davalos, Jim Hoffmann, and Darci Swenson Perger to expand their models for both carbon sequestration and harvesting techniques. The plan involves converting harvested Azolla into soil amendments that could improve soil health while reducing atmospheric carbon. This approach supports international efforts like the United Nations’ “4-per-1,000” initiative aimed at increasing global soil carbon storage.
“This project exemplifies the kind of inventive, cross-disciplinary work that makes Stony Brook a leader in research and discovery,” said Kevin Gardner, Stony Brook’s vice president for Research and Innovation. “By turning to nature for scalable carbon solutions, our researchers are pushing the boundaries of environmental science and demonstrating the ingenuity and impact that define Stony Brook’s research enterprise.”
Darci Swenson Perger is focusing on how to grow Azolla efficiently with minimal phosphorus input—a nutrient critical for plant development but also important for maintaining crop yields elsewhere. “The modeling suggests we can optimize this carbon to phosphorus ratio by growing it in a very specific way,” she said. “Maximum sequestration with minimum nutrients basically.” Sharon Pochron added: “We don’t want to be taking away from corn and soybeans to be growing Azolla.”
Looking ahead, the team envisions developing “Azolla kits”—portable water features where homeowners or businesses could grow and harvest the fern themselves. These kits would use automated skimmers for harvesting and digital dashboards similar to those found on solar panel systems so users can track their own carbon capture efforts.
Preliminary analysis by the team indicates substantial potential: dried Azolla consists of about 40% atmospheric carbon. According to their calculations, covering an area equivalent to 20% of Long Island with Azolla could offset all annual U.S. carbon emissions.
The timing coincides with New York State’s investments in energy-intensive technology facilities and its statutory goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels within five years.
“We have to be the leaders in this,” Pochron said. “If you think that climate change is important, and it’s something that you want to offset, this allows you to take carbon capture into your own hands.”
While additional partners and funding are needed for further development—especially regarding automation—the researchers hope to install pilot systems on campus rooftops and green spaces before expanding statewide or nationally.
“If we can start local, we can go to New York State and then across the country,” Pochron said.