Farming the Ocean

Many scientists believe that we have a lot of potential to produce aquatic animals and plants in order to meet the ever raising food requirement of the world. The ocean covers a majority of the Earth’s surface, and the likely for producing food is marvelous. While we have harvested wild fish and other aquatic animals for centuries, hard work to actually farm the ocean have been small. With all of the immeasurable amounts of water, it is just a matter of time before research gives us the means to use this resource to grow food in a controlled manner. The effects could be just as great as when people began to develop the wild plants from which they gathered food. Just think of how much more corn or wheat is grow in a modern field compared to the amount gathered in wild fields. The same could be true for the animals gathered from the ocean.

In many places in the world the ocean is filled with plant life. Off the coast of many countries grow giant forests of algae called Kelp. These plants begin as tiny plantlets, and some species grow to a height of almost 200 feet. During the growth process these plants may puts on more than two feet of new growth per day.

Several uses have been found for this plant. One abstract, alginic acid, is used in making tires, as an ingredient in ice cream, and in the manufacturing of paints. Also, kelp is high in vitamins and minerals and is used for food in Asia. Considering that this plant grows well in an area that has received little attention from agriculture and the many uses that can be made of it, the potential is high as an agricultural product.