Nemo’s Garden

What if you could grow plants underwater? Yes, you read that correctly. UNDERWATER.

Well, you actually can, thanks to the gnarly work happening at Ocean Reef Group, a diving equipment company who has been researching and developing a new form of agriculture that has been growing deep down under. They call it Nemo’s Garden.

The team has created underwater habitats called biospheres, which are dome-like, air-filled structures that are anchored 20 feet below the sea, just off the coast of Nolu, Italy – a location known to be difficult for farming. Seeds are planted insides these biospheres and are nurtured by the natural properties of the ocean – the warmth of the surrounding water, stable temperatures, isolation of harsh elements and parasites, increased pressure for accelerated grow, natural light from UV rays, and natural evaporation. Still don’t get it? Watch this video.

The aim is to bring this new form of agriculture to developing countries, or regions where traditional agriculture encounters difficulties or is not possible, and can be done without harming the environment. The team recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign in order to create a much smaller aquarium version of the biospheres that people can experiment with in their own homes.

The team will use our AWB grant to purchase new biospheres to further their research and data gathering.

Thanks to livestream, you can go to the experiment site in Italy right now! To learn more, check out the project’s website, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter pages.