Scientists Have Created A Surreal Underwater World With A Special Purpose

You could be forgiven for feeling slightly perturbed if you’d come across them without any prior knowledge. Their dome shapes make them look like a cross between a giant jellyfish and some kind of alien being, and they all come in different sizes. If you were inside one you’d find the air inside carries a pleasant aroma, albeit one you wouldn’t expect to come across at the bottom of the sea. In fact, the smell may instantly transport you to your herb garden or spice rack.

The exact location of these mysterious domes is approximately 40 meters off the shore of Noli in the Italian region of Liguria. Each of the biospheres, which look like they could have escaped from a science-fiction film, floats suspended about 10 meters below the surface of the water. And just in case you thought they’d been there since the dawn of civilization, the structures are very modern contraptions. In fact, they have only been there for little over a decade. 

So were the domes planted by extraterrestrials? Or perhaps a mermaid, tropical fish, and talking crab named Sebastian were responsible? Well, the truth is a little less fantastical. They are, in fact, the brainchild of a man who owns a company selling underwater equipment. That’s right: in 2012 Ocean Reef Group founder Sergio Gamberini hit upon the brainwave of merging two of his favorite pastimes together. And they’re not ones you’d necessarily think would gel particularly well: gardening and scuba diving. 

The idea came to Sergio at a dinner he was enjoying with a farmer pal and son Luca. The latter told magazine Science Focus that he didn’t think it was a serious proposition at first. Luca said, “It was kind of a bet, a fun joke. And my father was like, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m actually going to try that.’ And he did. And it worked.” Yes, it’s fair to say that Sergio’s blue-sky thinking has well and truly become a reality.

Sergio’s first experiment involved submerging a balloon filled with basil in the ocean, a body of water whose temperature remains fairly steady all year round. And the success of this unusual gardening experiment gave the entrepreneur the confidence to go ahead and expand on his idea. Instead of a simple balloon, Sergio decided to construct a specialized dome far more suitable for underwater life. The first one was so small that it was impossible for a human to fit inside it. 

But agrinauts — the name given to the project’s divers — were able to fit inside the bigger domes that Sergio subsequently built to solve that problem. As you would expect, this sense of invention didn’t exactly come cheap. In fact, the ambitious project had an initial cost of approximately $120,000! And the forward-thinker needed some financial assistance from his nearest and dearest to meet such a lofty target. Luckily this investment showed early signs of paying off. 

Some family members had taken some convincing, though. Luca, for example, freely admits that he wasn’t on board with all the audacious farming plans at first. In fact, he didn’t just dislike the underwater dome idea: he actively hated it. He said, “I opposed this so much.” Luca had also been left feeling aggrieved about the choice of the project’s location. He believed that the coastal area of Noli, a place where the Gamberini family had vacationed for years, would no longer be a relaxing paradise, but a place of work.

But Sergio had done his research when choosing the location of his domes. He discovered that the best area to plant them was in an area where the water’s temperature stayed around the 20°C mark and where nearly a third of the sunlight above could still seep through. Within the space of just seven weeks the tiny seeds of basil placed in these domes had grown into fully fledged plants. And even better, the herb was tastier than anything Sergio had ever grown on land!

That’s a claim backed up by photojournalist Giacomo d’Orlando, who documented the domes for several months. He told newspaper The Washington Post, “I had a sensation that after tasting one leaf of basil it felt like eating a whole plant. I’ve never smelled a basil so perfect.” Renowned for his work in the environmental field, d’Orlando had taken lessons in scuba diving specifically in order to capture the beauty of the installation soon dubbed “Nemo’s Garden.” And he soon became addicted to its charms. 

D’Orlando’s talents extended far beyond photographing all the underwater gardening. The journalist also helped the diving team to install no fewer than three domes. And this was only just over a week after he’d become a fully certified scuba diver, too. Referring to the first time he dived down to the bottom of the ocean, d’Orlando admitted, “I was emotional. Every time I had to go up I was in a rush to get my other tank and go down again.” 

Following the installation d’Orlando continually returned to the bottom of the seabed to capture how the project was going. He also regularly paid visits to the headquarters of the Ocean Reef Group and the Università di Pisa research team’s chemical-testing sessions. And the photojournalist hopes that he will be able to play a part in any of the team’s future endeavors. He said, “I don’t know if, in my life, I will find another project unique like this.” 

You may be wondering how the domes are constructed in the first place. Well, they’re built and mounted on land from a clear and lightweight form of polycarbonate and transported upside down for convenience. The dome’s curved bottom allows them to float when placed in the water. But once they’re positioned in the right area they can be turned the other way round. The dome then sinks to the floor as it starts to fill up with water; air is pumped back in to float the dome once it has been tethered to the seabed.

So how exactly does it all work? Well, here comes the science bit. Every single dome is heated by the natural sunlight that hits the water. It evaporates some of the open seawater at the base of the dome; the salt from it sticks to the dome wall, while the condensed fresh water falls back on the plants inside. This approach also produces a carbon dioxide exchange between the dome and the ocean. 

The lack of dirt inside the domes eradicates the prospect of any parasites. Yes, the plants are grown hydroponically, which relies on a solution rich in nutrients instead of the usual soil. And in another environmentally-friendly benefit, this also means that pesticides are also notable by their absence. Speaking to news organization CNN, Luca claimed that the entire system was simpler than you might expect. He said, “What I’m describing is nothing different than when we were in elementary school, and they explain how rain works.”

If you’re wondering how the plants manage to stay alive during the winter when the amount of natural light is significantly reduced, then wonder no more. Yes, it appears as though Sergio and his team really have thought of everything. In the darker months the plants are provided with the illumination they need to grow by LED lights attached to the dome. And an array of adjustable sensors and cameras allow the domes to be monitored and maintained from anywhere across the globe.

Once the team have concluded that it’s harvesting time they will send an experienced diver down to the bottom of the seabed. The plants will then be clipped, stored in special bags, and floated up to the surface of the water. Although the domes only have a diameter of around 2 meters they can still grow up to 100 small plants. And this sense of ingenuity could have a beneficial impact on areas thousands of miles away from the Italian coast, too.

Despite his early skepticism, Luca is now fully supportive of the Nemo’s Garden initiative. Speaking to Science Focus he revealed that a visit to one of the bigger biospheres in 2017 had helped him change his mind. Luca said, “In my first minute in one of these big environments I was like, ‘Ah, okay, that’s quite cool.’ These rigid domes are so much more beautiful, and incredibly easy to attend to. They make much more sense and they make the technology work.”

Now describing himself as the number-one fan of Nemo Garden’s Luca also told CNN in a 2023 interview that he and the rest of his team were only just getting started. The former skeptic said, “The mission of this technology is to change agriculture, to give it an added possibility for growing produce on the huge amount of coastlines of the Earth, while being sustainable and not affecting the environment.” And this is a sentiment echoed by his father, too.

In a chat with Oceanographic Magazine Sergio said, “Imagine all of the coasts, and all of the countries where there is enough water. I think in ten, maybe 20 years, we will have this technology all over the world.” It’s certainly needed. In 2050 the population of the world is predicted to hit 9.3 billion! And due to the effects of global warming, the challenge of providing enough food for such a colossal figure becomes more and more insurmountable each day.

The United Nations predicts, in fact, that there will have to be a 60 percent growth in food production over the next quarter of a century if we are to avoid a worldwide hunger problem. And Luca believes that Nemo’s Garden can play a significant part in the solution, telling CNN, “We have a finite amount of resources, and our… [current] way of harvesting those resources is unsustainable, and we believe that underwater gives us some advantages… [over] traditional agriculture.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Sergio in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian. The project’s founder named several specific areas he believes would benefit from this new form of agriculture. He said, “Starting from Middle-Eastern and tropical countries such as the Maldives, where there is not much [suitable] soil or fresh water... [to] southern California, which is experiencing droughts... Worst-case scenario, if we discover Nemo’s Garden isn’t feasible in terms of size, logistics, and economics, is that it’ll be a credible eco-tourism resource as scuba diving sites for islands and places with warm waters.”

There is one major drawback to the expansion of Nemo’s Garden, though. The production costs of each dome are a small fortune. And therefore the food that grows inside it also comes with a hefty price tag. While you can buy a gram of basil grown in a field for only a handful of cents, its sea-based equivalent will set you back roughly $10! Sergio acknowledged to Oceanographic Magazine, “The price for our basil plants will never be comparable to what you pay in a supermarket. That being said, they come with a much-reduced environmental footprint.”

Not a fan of basil? Well, Nemo’s Garden now has something to cater for every taste. Yes, the number of different plant varieties that Sergio and his team have now planted is in the triple figures. As well as various herbs, their selection also includes everything from strawberries and tomatoes to beans and salad greens. And for those who like to inspect the nutritional value of their foods, these plants have a much higher one than any supermarket equivalent, too.

The Wasabi Company co-founder Jon Old is just one of several food industry figures excited about the possibilities of Nemo’s Garden. The Japanese horseradish is renowned for being one of the hardest vegetable crops to grow. Not only is it susceptible to the direct rays from the Sun and increases in temperature, it also requires a lot more water than most. In an interview with The Guardian Old explained why his firm would be open to aligning itself with such ground-breaking projects. 

An enthusiastic Old said, “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.” Not only would The Wasabi Company also benefit from a better-tasting vegetable, it would, according to some studies, be providing a healthier one, too! 

That’s not all, either. In a study carried out by the Università di Pisa it was discovered that basil grown inside the underwater domes had a greater level of antioxidants than any of the same herb grown on land. And if you’re still not convinced, then the project has also had a positive impact on its nearby environment. According to Luca there is now nearly 60 percent more ocean life in the area surrounding the domes than there was before Nemo’s Garden started.

Not everyone agrees that Nemo’s Garden could work on such a mass scale, though. The University of Plymouth’s associate professor of plant and fungal biology Dr. George Littlejohn told Science Focus that it’s perhaps a little too niche to expand as such. He pointed to the fact that the technology, just like many systems used in vertical farming, were not conducive to high crop yields or the foods that contain the proteins and calories most of us need to survive.  

Dr. Littlejohn does acknowledge that projects such as Nemo’s Garden are a great space-saver. Plus its element of sheer challenge gives it value in terms of similar endeavors, such as space exploration. He added, “It may be that insights gained from growing underwater will give benefits in exploring further than we can yet see.” But the professor also believes that the inconvenience and general higher maintenance of underwater farming doesn’t make the prospect of global expansion particularly feasible. And Dr. Littlejohn is far from the only skeptic.

Take relief worker Rachel Kerr, for example. And having worked in the sub-Saharan parts of Africa on various nutritional initiatives it seems fair to say she knows what she’s talking about. Kerr told The Guardian, “My concern would be whether a set-up like this would disrupt the local food infrastructure. Coastal communities often rely on fish not just as food but as a source of income. It would need to respect local customs and be mindful of the environment [the ocean].”

As you would no doubt expect from such an ambitious project, the running of Nemo’s Garden hasn’t always been plain sailing. The sheer logistics of building an underwater empire has caused its fair share of headaches, for one thing. And there’s the uncontrollable aspect of the weather. In 2018 the Mediterranean Sea’s biggest storm in history had a major impact on the domes. Although they remained intact, their technology and plants were sadly ruined by rising sea-water levels inside the domes.  

In response to this setback the Nemo’s Garden team issued a statement on their official website. It read, “Accepting failures is never easy, especially if you think [about] all the energies and resources devoted to this project. However, the passion we have for what we do is so deep we will not give up. It’s time to roll up the sleeves and renew the habitat.” Sadly, just when the project appeared to be on track, along came the small matter of a worldwide pandemic.

You may remember that Italy was one of the first countries to go into lockdown. The team subsequently couldn’t monitor their underwater pride and joy for several months. Luckily on their first inspection afterwards, it was discovered that the plant life inside the domes had survived without any form of human assistance. And their durability was further tested later that year when another major storm hit the area. This time around Nemo’s Garden came out the other end unscathed.  

The Nemo’s Garden team now have plans to further build on their underwater empire, with the farming of seaweed, research stations, and ecotourism just a few of the initial ideas proposed. Speaking to Oceanographic Magazine its project coordinator Gianni Fontanesi said, “Every year, we are discovering new possible applications for the biospheres.” This includes Neom, the smart city being built in Saudi Arabia. Nemo’s Garden is hoping for the go-ahead to construct no fewer than 30 domes for the ambitious project.  

If the team is successful in their bid then their annual basil production could reach up to three tonnes! Sergio has another specific goal in mind, too: one he hopes will be achieved within the next seven years. The Ocean Reef Group founder told Science Focus that he hoped to have hundreds of employees helping to implement the Nemo’s Garden experiment across the globe by the time the year 2030 comes around. Sergio said, “Nobody has done it before. We can only learn through experience.”

The team have already started exploring whether the underwater dome project can work elsewhere. In early 2023 they headed to an Ohio cold-water quarry to implement a smaller version of the Italian original. Speaking to CNN, Luca seemed confident that the concept of Nemo’s Garden could transfer to other shores. And he believed it would be particularly useful in coastline areas. He remarked, “Underwater farming is not (going to) answer the issue of how are we going to feed the whole world but I hope that it becomes a standard in the regions that need it.” 

Nemo’s Garden isn’t the only project that’s proving the potential of underwater farming, though. Sea6 Energy, a firm based in Bangalore, is busy exploring the capabilities of automated ocean-floor tractors which plant and harvest seaweed. Along with shellfish, this natural foodstuff is also being grown on underwater scaffolding constructed by North American non-profit GreenWave. Then there’s the Prototype Lunar Greenhouse, an experiment in growing plants being conducted on the International Space Station, and the algae-growing OMEGA system implemented by NASA on the sea’s surface.  

If all of this has piqued your interest then you may be excited to learn that you can see Sergio’s innovative domes for yourself. Yes, as stated on its website, Nemo’s Garden is open to anyone who fancies a swim 40 meters from the Noli shore. You don’t even need to hire any scuba gear to appreciate its wonders, either. It’s possible to see the domes from the surface of the water. And even better, you don’t have to pay for the privilege, either.  

But if you would much rather venture down beneath the waves then you can get a closer look in all of your scuba gear, too. There are even guided tours available from various diving centers if you want the full experience. There are only two stipulations for anyone who gets within inches of the domes: don’t touch the structures and don’t attempt to stick your face in one, or you could very well risk compromising the whole experiment.  

Luca Locatelli, a photographer from Italy, has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity to get close to the domes. And he believes that Nemo’s Garden is a testament to the power of imagination, telling National Geographic magazine, “We need someone who thinks about crazy things — not only ordinary inventions — that are coming out of a real passion. It might be something, it might not, [but] I like the fact that someone is so brave to invest money on such a thing.”