Underwater Pod Farms

Off the coast of Italy Ocean Reef Group is growing red cabbage, lettuce, beans, basil and strawberries, in pods pegged to the seabed

It may sound like something you’d find in a science fiction novel, but this is the work of Ocean Reef Group. With the help of agricultural experts, the Genova-based scuba diving company is applying its knowledge and technology to finding new ways to produce food.

The research project, known as Nemo’s Garden, began in 2012 and currently consists of seven pods – biospheres – each of which can hold around 8-10 trays or 22 plant pots. Having improved the design of the pods over time following episodes of rot and flooding, the company is ready to scale up its testing with the ultimate aim of commercialising its operations. The company has a local government permit to operate for five months of the year (May to September) and the pod structure has been patented. The project is currently seeking financial assistance through a crowdfunding campaign which ends this week.

Inside the pods

The company uses a version of hydroponics, creating fresh water through desalination. Seawater within the structures evaporates, drops condense on the roof and then drip back down as fresh water to feed the herbs and vegetables.

Unlike underground hydroponic systems and greenhouses, which rely on various heating and cooling systems and LED lights to regulate the temperature, submersion in seawater offers a stable temperature while avoiding exposure to extreme weather conditions on land. When it comes to sunlight, studies have shown that a majority of plants – although not seaweed – are dependent on the red spectrum in light for physiological development; the red can filter out at depths of around five to 15m. To address this, the pods are submerged five to eight metres below the surface; they could potentially go deeper but more data is needed to work out the viability of this.

Jon Old is co-founder of The Wasabi Company. The horseradish-like vegetable is regarded as one of the most intensive crops to grow. It involves a lot of watering and is vulnerable to high temperatures and direct sunlight, so could potentially be ideal for underwater farming. Old is excited by the potential of the Nemo Project model: “certain aspects are very appealing, like the sealed environment, no pests to wander in, no disease spores to blow in on the wind, and no slugs. If we assume the underwater [farm] is structurally sound, I think it would be fantastic. It’d be like working in a huge, dry aquarium all day.”

Source: The Guardian

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• Innovation
• Agriculture
• Hydroponics