Guide for Underwater Farming Initiation

Guide for Underwater Farming Initiation

Decades ago, the wacky notion of Luca Gamberini's old man, Sergio, turned into reality when he decided to cultivate crops beneath the waves. The family's sea-dwelling business, Ocean Reef Group, ordinarily concentrated on diving and scuba stuff, but agriculture was nowhere on the horizon. However, after a brainstorming session between Sergio—an avid gardener and ocean aficionado—and a farming pal, they decided to take a gamble.

"It was almost like a dare, a silly joke between friends," says Gamberini. "And my dad was the kind of person who would actually go through with it. And he did. And it worked."

Initially, they used transparent balloons filled with air, creating an underwater dome, and managed to keep a plant alive, then successfully sprouted a basil seed which flourished. At first, Gamberini wasn't seeing the point, but after testing out one of the bigger, rigid underwater domes they developed, he became a believer.

"In my very first minute inside one of these substantial environments, I was like, 'Okay, that's cool,'" he says, "These robust domes are magnificent, and they make a hell of a lot more sense. They simplify the technology and make it more practical."

Now, Nemo's Garden, the start-up birthed from that off-the-wall concept, has six domes—each holding around 2,000 liters of air—submerged at depths between five and 11 meters. Divers enter the domes from below, tending to the plants positioned in an atmosphere of fresh, humid, and nutrient-rich water. When harvest time arrives, the crops are placed in reusable bags or containers and moved to the surface.

Nemo's Garden has cultivated a broad spectrum of plants under water in Italy, from their signature basil, to an assortment of medicinal and culinary herbs, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, quinoa, and even tobacco (for pharmaceutical purposes, Gamberini explains). The biospheres are also well-suited for plants that prefer a high-humidity environment. The geometry of the dome restricts growth to living floor space, but Gamberini points out, "We can only grow high-end and sought-after produce."

The underwater cultivation system operates similarly to vertical farming systems, providing a soil-free, monitored environment—remote from the farmer—with live cameras in each compartment. However, unlike terrestrial systems, the surrounding ocean offers an astonishingly consistent thermal environment, thus reducing energy consumption. Plus, the sun's rays are enough to power the plants' growth, making LED lights unnecessary and translating to energy savings.

Gamberini attests to growth being faster and essential oil levels being higher underwater. Moreover, a survey carried out through a scholarship in 2019 concluded that the Nemo's Garden structure is likely having a positive impact on the local ecology of the area. "When you place something underwater that acts like an artificial reef, the ecosystem just blooms," he comments.

However, could this farming technique ever genuinely compete with mainstream agriculture at scale? Dr. George Littlejohn, associate professor of plant and fungal biology at the University of Plymouth, suggests that niche production is more likely the future. He notes that the technology is not yet advanced enough to provide the large quantities of essential calorie- and protein-rich foods that humans need as part of our daily diet.

While there are challenges, underwater farming has the advantage of not consuming land, and aside from the extra energy needed for nutrient delivery, the system has its pros and cons. Despite the space-age appearance of the Nemo's Garden pods, Gamberini admits Martian farming is out of his expertise. However, he muses on a possible usefulness for space travel: providing intense flavors for foods eaten in low-pressure environments.

As for impacts here on Earth, Gamberini envisions underwater farms benefiting coastal communities with inadequate land for agriculture but an abundance of skilled divers—like the Maldives. "I do believe it's a realistic alternative alongside the various other tech advancements," says Gamberini.

In the fall of this year, Nemo's Garden will present business and feasibility studies to build 30 underwater biospheres for the Neom, Saudi Arabia's ambitious smart city project in the desert. If successful, they could be looking at setting up the world's first genuine underwater farm by next year. By 2030, Gamberini hopes the company will employ hundreds, deploying underwater domes around the globe, and pioneering a wave of fresh, sustainable agriculture beneath the waves.

1. In the future, underwater farms like Nemo's Garden could potentially be an alternative for coastal communities with limited land for agriculture but a skilled diver population.
2. The underwater cultivation system operates similarly to vertical farming systems, providing a soil-free, monitored environment with live cameras in each compartment.
3. The surrounding ocean offers an astonishingly consistent thermal environment, thus reducing energy consumption compared to terrestrial systems.
4. The sun's rays are enough to power the plants' growth in underwater farming, making LED lights unnecessary and translating to energy savings.
5. In addition to providing fresh, high-end produce, underwater farms may have a positive impact on the local ecology by acting as artificial reefs.
6. However, underwater farming is not yet advanced enough to provide the large quantities of essential calorie- and protein-rich foods that humans need as part of their daily diet.
7. Researchers in the field of environmental science and plant and fungal biology, such as Dr. George Littlejohn, predict that niche production may be the most realistic future for underwater farming.
8. Gamberini sees a future where Nemo's Garden employs hundreds of people, deploying underwater domes around the globe and pioneering a wave of fresh, sustainable agriculture beneath the waves by 2030.
9. Nemo's Garden is exploring opportunities to build 30 underwater biospheres for the Neom, Saudi Arabia's ambitious smart city project in the desert, which could lead to the world's first genuine underwater farm by next year.
10. While space-age in appearance, the Nemo's Garden pods may have potential applications for space travel, such as providing intense flavors for foods eaten in low-pressure environments.
11. The advancements in underwater farming and smart home devices are transforming everyday aspects of life, from cooking to energy consumption, and contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle, particularly in the food-and-drink and global-cuisines sectors.

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