Louisiana

Louisiana marshes bury carbon in the muck. Could they help fight climate change?

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Louisiana marshes bury carbon in the muck. Could they help fight climate change?

Gathered on a strip of salt marsh bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Tim Carruthers and his team of scientists huddle around a patch of soil marked by protruding PVC pipes.

Pelicans soar overhead and massive ocean-going ships cruise by, heading toward the neighboring oil and gas seaport of Port Fourchon. But Carruthers’ team has their eyes fixed on the ground.

The group works a thick pipe into the soft dirt and releases liquid nitrogen, letting it flow into the ground with a loud hiss. The process results in a long tube of frozen mud — a sample they can take back to the lab.

“What we like to call a sediment popsicle,” said Carruthers, director of coastal ecology at the Water Institute of the Gulf.

The sediment popsicle is at the center of his research into something hard to see — carbon dioxide.

Water Institute of the Gulf

A Water Institute of the Gulf scientists holds up a so-called “sediment popsicle” — a sample of marsh sediment frozen using liquid nitrogen. The mud layered on top of the white line helps the scientists measure how quickly the marsh accumulates carbon.

Carruthers’ research is part of an effort to understand how big a role Louisiana marshes can play in the fight against climate change. The larger the role, the more money they could be worth.

Marshes can act as“carbon sinks,” or natural spaces that absorb and store more carbon than they release. In fact, coastal wetlands are among the best habitats on Earth at sequestering carbon. Louisiana is rich in them.

The state holds almost two-thirds of all the carbon stored in coastal marshes along the Gulf Coast. The reason is twofold: Louisiana has far more wetlands than its Gulf neighbors and its soil accumulates carbon at a faster rate.

Louisiana marshes’ knack for capturing carbon could allow the state to eventually create a new market for carbon credits, where companies invest in the restoration of coastal ecosystems as a way to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

Carruthers said the arrangement presents the chance for a “triple win:” reducing planet-warming emissions, enhancing knowledge of marshes and creating a new way to fund coastal restoration.

“All of these efforts are trying to see if we can get to a point that it’s financially viable,” he said.

But the carbon equation for this dynamic habitat is complicated.

Depending on how salty the marsh is, methane-burping bacteria in the soil can thrive, negating some of the carbon stored by marsh grasses and mangroves. The bacteria is less tolerant to salty water, but Carruthers said the salinity of Louisiana marshes can vary widely.

“There are just some uncertainties,” he said. “So we have to make very conservative assumptions.”

The constant flux makes it hard to estimate a marsh’s capacity to store carbon. So far, Carruthers said that’s made selling carbon credits for marshes financially inviable.

Based on current models, Carruthers said a marsh-building project covering almost 3,500 acres would only offer up to $1 million in return over 30 years. To put that into perspective, the state’s largest marsh restoration project — the Upper Barataria Marsh Creation project — was a third of that size and cost $181 million to build.

Even still, the state and companies continue to be enthusiastic about the market’s potential.

Carruthers’ research is in partnership with Chevron, which owns the strip of land outside of Port Fourchon that hosts his study site.

Chevron environmental geoscientist Cas Bridge said the research presents an exciting opportunity to look into nature-based climate solutions.

“I think there’s this acknowledgment that there’s going to be this sort of an amount of emissions that are hard or impossible to abate, and so that’s where offsets come in,” she said.

A bird's eye view of Port Fourchon, Louisiana's southernmost port situated on the Gulf of Mexico. — A bird’s eye view of Port Fourchon, Louisiana’s southernmost port situated on the Gulf of Mexico.

Even if carbon credits aren’t in the cards, Bridges said the study is also a way to look at the potential for habitat restoration to increase Port Fourchon’s resiliency against rising sea levels and storms that have grown stronger due to climate change. In a way, a carbon market would be a bonus.

“There is an element of playing the long game,” she said. “And nothing in the research so far indicates that we should stop.”

Isabel Englehart, a policy advisor for the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, said there has always been uncertainty around how large of a role marshes can play.

She said Carruthers’ research sheds light on one of the state’s most valuable resources. But the extent to which marshes may play a role in the state’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 is still a question mark.

“Natural sequestration is not going to be the silver bullet for reducing our statewide emissions,” Englehart said. “But it could be a big part of it.”

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Louisiana

Shavers leads ULM past Louisiana 79-63

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Marcavia Shavers posts 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead ULM Warhawks women’s basketball past Louisiana 79-63 in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

ULM (15-15, 7-11 Sun Belt) took control early, outscoring Louisiana 17-7 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 41-21 by halftime. The Warhawks never trailed and led by as many as 28 points in the second quarter.

Shavers anchored the inside for ULM, finishing 9-of-15 from the field with 13 rebounds. Jazmine Jackson added 17 points off the bench, knocking down four 3-pointers, while J’Mani Ingram scored 16 points and dished out six assists.

ULM shot 46.9% from the field and held a 42-27 advantage on the boards. The Warhawks also converted Louisiana turnovers into 29 points and scored 26 second-chance points.

Louisiana (5-26, 2-16 Sun Belt) was led by Mikaylah Manley with 18 points and Imani Daniel with 17 points and seven rebounds. Amijah Price chipped in 12 points.

After struggling early, Louisiana shot better in the second half, scoring 42 points after the break. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

ULM advances in the Sun Belt tournament, while Louisiana closes its season with the loss.
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Louisiana

State Treasurer John Fleming accuses Jeff Landry of interfering in Louisiana Senate race

Published

16 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

State Treasurer John Fleming accuses Jeff Landry of interfering in Louisiana Senate race

BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.

Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.

According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.

A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.

“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.

Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.

Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.

“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.

Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.

Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

6-8-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

3-6-7-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing

0-8-3-2-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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