EDF’s Phytoplankton Carbon Solutions (PCS) research program

Satellite image collected by NASA’s PACE of a partially cloudy ocean surface with green-hued swirls of growing phytoplankton.

Why the interest in phytoplankton?

Can enhancing the growth and sinking of phytoplankton be a strategy to remove additional carbon from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change? These microscopic plant-like organisms drift at the ocean surface where they naturally take up carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, serve as the base for aquatic food webs, and generate a large proportion of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere.

When phytoplankton die and sink, or are consumed by other ocean organisms, some of the carbon they hold may be transferred to the deep ocean where it can be locked away for centuries. Whether these natural processes can be amplified and accelerated to transfer additional carbon dioxide from the air into the ocean and thereby serve as a “phytoplankton carbon solution” (PCS), is an open question.

Studying the viability of Phytoplankton Carbon Solutions

As part of our work on oceans and climate change, EDF has launched a new initiative that will leverage and synthesize existing research and generate new science to better understand the oceans’ biological carbon pump and evaluate potential actions to enhance the pump’s carbon uptake. Building on the Phytoplankton Carbon Solutions (PCS) Research Framework published by Ocean Visions in January of 2026, the aim of EDF's PCS Research Program is to drive a cohesive, policy- and decision-relevant research program that answers critical interdisciplinary questions as to which PCS approaches should be studied further, constrained to specific contexts, or discontinued altogether.

There are many questions about the effectiveness of PCS approaches stemming from previous work on Ocean Iron Fertilization. These questions include the potential to draw down atmospheric carbon, our ability to track the fate of the sequestered carbon, the potential for negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and societal acceptance and risk tolerance to undertake these approaches. The supported research will help to identify and address the potential risks and benefits of PCS approaches and their safety for the environment and people.

EDF’s history of collaboration with academics, businesses, nonprofits, NGOs, governments, and impacted communities to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges, as well as our willingness to approach them with rigor and transparency, provides our team with a unique perspective to help answer pressing questions around PCS.

Funding opportunities

Through the generous support of the Grantham Environmental Trust through the Ocean Climate Resilience Alliance (ORCA), EDF is able to drive forward research on the most important questions around PCS. The PCS program will address four core research priorities via Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and a bottom-up funding mechanism for researcher-initiated ideas, broadly termed the Community Fund.

The PCS Research Program is outcome-agnostic. Research is funded for the purpose of generating comprehensive, high-quality scientific knowledge to enable science-informed decisions on the continued advancement or recommended cessation of PCS research. Consistent with principles EDF and peer organizations recently endorsed for responsible marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) research, the PCS program will not fund activities tied to carbon credit transactions or other for-profit purposes.

Research transparency is vital for maintaining scientific and public trust. Our PCS research program will ensure that data collection and dissemination is transparent and follows FAIR Data Principles. This includes publishing our grantees, their intended projects, and the funding sources. Results, including data collected and/or generated, will be published in a space accessible to everyone. That includes our website, webinars, blogs, and other public media.

Phytoplankton Carbon Solutions (PCS) funding opportunities

Strategic Advisory Board

Our EDF experts are supported by a Strategic Advisory Board comprised of experts with diverse backgrounds from marine and social sciences.

EDF PCS Research Program Strategic Advisory Board

For more information

Interested in keeping up with the latest from the PCS Research Program? Sign up to receive periodic updates on research opportunities, funding calls, events, publications, and other program news. You can also use the form to submit a question to the PCS team