A research team at Stony Brook University has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study whether Azolla, an ancient aquatic fern, could serve as an effective carbon offset solution. The plant is notable for its rapid growth and ability to fix nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria.
Sharon Pochron, project lead and assistant professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, explained the significance of Azolla: “This plant has already cooled the world once, so we think that we can harness it to do it again.”
The research draws on evidence from the Eocene epoch about 50 million years ago. At that time, high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels coincided with large populations of Azolla covering Arctic freshwater surfaces. The fern’s rapid growth allowed it to double its biomass every 2.5 days while converting carbon dioxide into sugars. When these plants died and settled on the ocean floor, they sequestered substantial amounts of carbon over roughly 8,000 years—a period known as the “Azolla Event”—helping reduce global CO2 levels.
With support from NSF funding, team members Jackie Collier, Liliana Davalos, Jim Hoffmann and Darci Swenson Perger will expand their models for carbon sequestration and explore harvesting techniques. Harvested Azolla would be converted into soil amendments to address both atmospheric carbon removal and soil degradation. This work aligns with global initiatives like the United Nations’ “4-per-1,000” program focused on increasing soil carbon storage.
Kevin Gardner, vice president for Research and Innovation at Stony Brook University, said: “This project exemplifies the kind of inventive, cross-disciplinary work that makes Stony Brook a leader in research and discovery. 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.”
Perger is optimizing Azolla’s growth using minimal phosphorus input—an essential nutrient for healthy plant development—aiming to maximize sequestration efficiency without diverting resources from traditional crops like corn or soybeans.
“The modeling suggests we can optimize this carbon to phosphorus ratio by growing it in a very specific way,” Perger said. “Maximum sequestration with minimum nutrients basically.”
Pochron emphasized: “We don’t want to be taking away from corn and soybeans to be growing Azolla.”
While current efforts focus on developing scientific models for sequestration potential, future plans include creating portable “Azolla kits.” These would allow individuals or businesses to grow Azolla in small water bodies with automated harvesting robots and digital dashboards similar to solar panel monitors.
Preliminary analysis by the team indicates significant capacity; dried Azolla consists of 40% atmospheric carbon. According to their estimates, covering 20% of Long Island’s surface area with this fern could potentially offset all annual U.S. carbon emissions.
The project comes as New York State invests in more energy-intensive infrastructure for artificial intelligence and quantum computing facilities while working toward a statutory goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels within five years.
Pochron stated: “We have to be the leaders in this. 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.”
Automated harvesting technology—which would remove about one-third of Azolla mass every 2.3 days—is still under development pending further partnerships and funding opportunities. The researchers plan pilot installations on campus rooftops or 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 added.
