Vertical ocean farming - the least deadliest catch | Bren Smith | TEDxBermuda
A 3D ocean farmer named Brendan Smith argues that ecological redemption requires reformatting our economy around sustainable practices, using techniques like seaweed and shellfish farming to create resilient local food, biofuel, and fertilizer loops. He illustrates this by detailing his journey from destructive commercial fishing to establishing a restorative farm system in Long Island Sound. The presentation culminates in a vision for embedding ocean farming within existing infrastructure, such as offshore wind farms, to support a "Blue-Green Economy." ## Speakers & Context - **Brendan Smith:** 3D ocean farmer located outside of New York City. - Background: Grew up in a small fishing village of 11 houses. - Transition: Quit high school at age 14; fished various areas including the Georges Banks, Grand Banks, Bering Sea, and Long Island Sound. - Current focus: Building a "Blue-Green Economy" based on sustainable aquaculture. - Tone: Passionate, acknowledging past failures, highly optimistic regarding future potential. ## Theses & Positions - The fishing industry historically engaged in unsustainable practices, including "ripping up entire ecosystems with our trawls." - Traditional aquaculture (farming) has proven to be equally destructive using "new technologies chalking fish full of medicines antibiotics polluting local waterways." - Failure, such as the loss of oysters due to Hurricane Sandy or pollution, is viewed positively as the *"mother of invention."* - The ultimate goal is to build a "Blue-Green Economy," shifting livelihoods away from extractive industries to restorative ones. - Restoration requires viewing shellfish and seaweeds as "stunning agents of sustainability" that can physically filter water and mitigate climate harm. - The transition requires rethinking traditional economies to make a living on a "living planet." ## Concepts & Definitions - **3D Ocean Farming:** Farming systems that utilize the full water column, anchored to the seafloor while growing vegetation/culture in the water above and below. - **Blue-Green Economy:** An economic model built around sustainable practices, combining ocean resource management (blue) with ecological regeneration (green). - **Blue Carbon Sequestration:** The process where marine organisms, especially kelp, sequester carbon dioxide. - **Nitrogen Farming Loop:** A closed system where sea vegetables capture nitrogen from the water, which is then used on land-based farms, and the byproduct is allowed to leach back into the sound. - **Monoculture Aquaculture:** The practice of growing only one type of organism in a defined area. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Ecosystem Restoration:** Oyster reefs and seaweed fields function as artificial reef systems, attracting over 150 species and rebuilding biodiversity in what was once a "barren patch of ocean." - **Water Filtration:** Shellfish filter 30 to 50 gallons of water per day, and seaweeds pull nitrogen out of the ocean via nitrification. - **Carbon Sequestration:** Kelp is noted for soaking up "five times the amount of carbon as land-based plants" and functions as a carbon-sequestering plant. - **Biofuel/Fertilizer Production:** Kelp can be used for biofuel, and captured nitrogen is used as fertilizer for land-based crops. - **System Design:** The farm utilizes floating lines for seaweed growth (kelp), anchored cages on the seafloor for shellfish/clams, and vertical ropes for integrated systems. - **Community Resilience:** Implementing a Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) program connects local community members directly to the food supply. ## Timeline & Sequence - **Early Life:** Quit high school at age 14. Fished the Georges Banks, Grand Banks, North Atlantic, Bering Sea. - **Turning Point (Crisis):** Cod stocks crashed on the East Coast, leading to job loss and a "generational split." - **Alternative Attempt:** Early adoption of aquaculture farms in northern Canada, which proved equally destructive. - **Initial Redemption Attempt:** Moved to Long Island Sound, becoming an oyster farmer, which was disrupted by Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. - **Current State:** Following environmental disasters, adapted the farm model to incorporate seaweed, developing a multi-use, restorative system. ## Named Entities - **Brendan Smith:** Speaker and 3D ocean farmer. - **New York City:** Location reference for the farm's proximity. - **Georges Banks, Grand Banks:** Fishing grounds used in early career. - **Bering Sea:** Fishing ground used in early career. - **Long Island Sound:** Current operational location for the farm. - **Yale Sustainable Food Project:** Partner in the nitrogen farming loop. - **Bridgeport Sound School:** School where one student invented a power source. ## Numbers & Data - Age when quitting school: **14**. - Initial shellfish grounds leased: **150 years** ago (for the current leasing period). - Hurricane Sandy loss estimate: **80% crop lost**, most gear washed out to sea. - Scale potential (seaweed): **24 tonnes** in five months in a 300 by 300 foot area. - Scale potential (seaweed total): A network covering the size of **Washington State** could theoretically feed the world. - Biofuel potential: **Two thousand gallons** of biofuel a year from one acre of kelp. - Nitrogen filtering capability: Shellfish filter **30 to 50 gallons** of water per day. ## Examples & Cases - **Early Industry Practice:** Trawling that was "ripping up entire ecosystems." - **Mislabeling Problem:** In the United States, one out of three fish eaten is reportedly mislabeled (wild vs. farmed). - **Structural Damage:** Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy severely damaged the farm, causing massive loss of oysters and gear. - **Technological Innovation:** A student at the Bridgeport Sound School invented a **12 volt kelp powered biodegradable battery**. - **Alternative Food Sources:** Showcasing kelp ice cream, kelp butters, and kelp fettuccine noodles as alternatives to consuming whole fish. - **Blue-Green Vision:** Proposing embedding the farm system into offshore wind farms, allowing simultaneous harvesting of food, fuel, and fertilizer. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Trawls:** Industrial fishing gear used historically. - **Aquaculture Farms:** Previous failed attempts at sustainable fish farming. - **Oysters/Shellfish:** Primary farmed crop, serving as both food and biological filter/reef structure. - **Kelp:** Species utilized for its high carbon absorption and biofuel potential; called the "sequoia of the sea." - **Seaweed:** General term for diverse species grown, used for food, fertilizer, and biofuels. - **Biofuel:** Product derived from kelp, requiring zero inputs (fresh water, fertilizer, arid land). - **Mini-Grid Concept:** Utilizing kelp power to generate electricity for local use (shown by the student invention). ## References Cited - Dr. Charlie Irish: Researcher from the University of Connecticut known for his work on seaweeds. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Trawling vs. Restoration:** Contrast between destructive trawling and restorative aquaculture. - **Aquaculture vs. Wild:** Highlighting the failure of industrial aquaculture practices to be sustainable alternatives to wild stocks. - **Land-based Farming vs. Ocean Farming:** Ocean farming (using sea vegetables) offers a closed-loop system that mitigates nutrient runoff by capturing excess nitrogen from waterways that land farms pollute. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - Critics (politicians) view the goal of a million new ocean farmers as "just there's no way." - The concept of Blue-Green Economy requires a fundamental "reformatting" of global economic structures. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - **Immediate Action:** The necessity of innovative, resilient strategies to ensure people can "make a living on a living planet" during climate change. - **Structural Change:** Reimagining the fossil fuel industry to utilize kelp for biofuel and fertilizer, and building local salt industries on existing structures. - **Economic Model:** Building a network of local, community-based food production that supports livelihood continuity when traditional industries collapse (e.g., Hurricane Sandy impact). ## Implications & Consequences - **Ecological Benefit:** The farm structure mitigates storm surge, reducing shoreline destruction, and combats dead zones by filtering nutrients. - **Climate Impact:** Kelp farming offers a localized, scalable method for carbon capture and biofuel generation that avoids the need for fresh water or arid land. - **Economic Opportunity:** Creates decentralized economic opportunity by making the farm model "open-source" for anyone with adequate acreage and basic capital. ## Verbatim Moments - *"my name is Brendan Smith and I'm a 3d ocean farmer located right outside of New York City"* - *"we were ripping up entire ecosystems with our trawls"* - *"the in the captains of industry they wanted to fish the last fish they want to stay the course"* - *"it turned out to be just as destructive using new technologies chalking fish full of medicines antibiotics polluting local waterways"* - *"failure was the best thing that happened to me"* - *"mother it's the mother of invention"* - *"our farm is underwater it has a low aesthetic impact"* - *"we're growing four kinds of shellfish two kinds of seaweeds"* - *"we do something called a Community Supported fisheries program"* - *"the whole idea is to carve out a section of the dinner plate to not eat fish but to eat what fishy"* - *"my job is not to be this ocean hero it's not to save the Seas my job is to have the seeds save us"* - *"our farm functions is an artificial reef system"* - *"it soaks up five times the amount of carbon as land-based plants"* - *"we're creating this closed nitrogen farming loop"* - *"our economy is going to change"* - *"let's bring it back to land and reclaim the coal plants that are shutting down near me reimagine the fossil fuel industry turn them into kelp biofuel and fertilizer plants"* - *"a little bit of crazy"*