3-D Ocean Farming: Saving Our Seas by Bren Smith. Imagine a vertical underwater garden: seaweed and mussels grow on floating ropes, stacked above oyster and clam cages below.
Imagine a farm designed to restore rather than deplete our oceans - a farm growing local food but also biofuel and organic fertilizer. We're doing it! Last year we integrated seaweed into our existing shellfish farm, becoming the first 3D ocean farm in Long Island Sound. Although still small scale, our experiment has attracted attention, including from the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and NPR.
Now it’s time to scale up As lifelong commercial fishermen, we know our oceans are in trouble. But we can turn the tide. Eat Like a Fish! Scaled up, the potential impact on our food system is mind-blowing. Restoring Our Oceans: Two years ago while out on the boat, a light bulb went off: We realized that millions of years ago, Mother Nature invented two species - kelp and shellfish - designed to restore ocean ecosystems and mitigate climate change. Innovative Biodiesel Project: Week 4 - Safari Surf School. My last week in Nosara with the Innovative Biodiesel Project was hectic – running all over town trying to tie loose ends and finish as many “innovative” pieces of the puzzle as possible before I left so Ryan wouldn’t have too much to tackle on his own.
Read on to see what worked and most importantly – what didn’t! Monday was the beginning of a long week with numerous setbacks in the “greasercycle” design. Also, the gale-force winds I described in the last post prevented us from working on-site Monday and Tuesday mornings: Unfortunately, our test with the smaller, cheaper and easier to use drill bit pump that would replace the traditional 1.5 horsepower electric water pump for the “greasercycle,” failed… Harbor Freight says its “chemical resistant,” but we’re not too sure about that because once our methoxide mix was pumped into the water heater tank to react with the WVO – it stopped instantly. “Oh well, that’s science!” This little guy appreciates our greywater filtration system. Innovative Biodiesel Project. Update: We're funded!
Thank you so much to everyone for the support! Follow our progess on safarisurfschool.com/blog. We'll be posting from Costa Rica every week for the next month! Pura Vida! Pura vida is more than an expression in Nosara, its a way of life; a way of life that we are determined to preserve. Thanks for checking out our campaign page, I’m Carl Kish, the Sustainability Director for Safari Surf School and the Hotel Casa Tucan in blissful Nosara, Costa Rica.
Our fundraising goal is budgeted for the construction of the shelter, the biodiesel system and the biochar system, as well as researching and testing the use of homemade reagents in the conversion process as a substitute for imported, toxic and expensive chemicals such as methanol. Greasy Gifts: Help us achieve our dream and you won’t regrease it! Our fundraising goal is budgeted for: AlgaeLab.