AquaSteady

By Cindie Kehlet

"AquaSteady is a biodegradable seaweed-based hydrogel that can hold up to 500 times its weight in water. Like a sponge, it captures excess moisture when soil is saturated and gradually releases it back to plant roots during dry conditions."

Close-up of a translucent bio-material sample with circular cutouts, held up to the sunlight by two hands. The light filters through the material, highlighting its flexible, perforated structure, which may be part of a sustainable design or biomaterial research project. — Image credit: Ameera Albalawi

Overview

Climate change creates unpredictable weather patterns, drives widespread food insecurity, and threatens the stability of global food systems. This calls for innovative solutions that can enhance society’s resilience and adaptability. AquaSteady, a U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator grant-funded project led by Pratt Institute’s Professor Cindie Kehlet of the Math & Science Department, is a seaweed-based hydrogel that can retain large amounts of water and release it slowly over time, capturing water from rain or irrigation and releasing it during droughts. Extended droughts and heavy rains disrupt food production, leading to crop damage and harmful fertilizer runoff that pollutes water sources. Since agriculture consumes 70 percent of global water, inefficient practices further strain resources. AquaSteady offers an effective solution for improving water management in agriculture, enriching soil, promoting plant health, and strengthening food security in a changing climate.

Three people harvesting seaweed in shallow ocean water under a clear blue sky. Wearing waterproof gear and gloves, they hold up long, brown kelp strands attached to ropes. The group appears engaged in aquaculture or marine farming work. — *Image credit: Ameera Albalawi*

Young plants growing in neat rows inside a mesh-covered greenhouse. Wooden stakes and numbered signs mark planting sections, while drip irrigation tubing runs along the soil. The setup suggests agricultural research or controlled crop trials. — *Image credit: AquaSteady*

Partnerships:

Aquasteady brings together a diverse team of scientists, designers, agronomists, farmers, and commercialization experts to develop nature-based solutions for resilient agriculture. We integrate deep expertise from academia, farming, and regenerative seaweed aquaculture to improve soil and water systems in a changing climate. Our partners include:

U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator
Pratt Institute
City College of New York
University of Arizona
New Mexico State University
University of Peurto Rico Mayagüez
Doall Aquaculture

Bio:

Dr. Cindie Kehlet combines expertise in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with innovative materials research as Professor and Director of the Center for Innovation and Material Science at Pratt Institute. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Aarhus in Denmark, and she spent three years conducting research at Germany’s Technical University of Munich during her graduate studies.

Her interdisciplinary work explores material science and degradation, notably developing novel analytical methods that merge NMR relaxometry with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Kehlet’s current research centers on sustainable materials, with a particular focus on hydrogels. Her contributions have earned recognition through Pratt Institute’s Research Recognition Award and multiple Innovation and Strategic Fund grants supporting interdisciplinary research initiatives.

As Principal Investigator of the AquaSteady project, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator program, Kehlet leads the development of an innovative seaweed-based hydrogel technology aimed at advancing sustainable agriculture and water conservation practices.