An innovative and ingenious idea was brought to life by an insight from Sergio Gamberini, founder of the leading underwater equipment company, Ocean Reef Group. The Italian engineer, along with his company’s team, has created a new scenario for future sustainable agriculture. The world’s first underwater garden was born in Liguria, on the seabed of Novi.
From a small tire workshop to an industry leader
The Gamberini family has made their way in the Genoa region since the end of World War II, starting from a small tire workshop. Their passion and expertise in rubber processing caught the attention of Commander Ferraro, one of the few to receive the Italian Navy’s Gold Medal.
The commander approached the Gamberini workshop to design new rubber fins and masks for use during underwater dives. The company thus turned flexibility into a virtue, specializing in the production of rubber-based products for various sectors, including medical, military, workplace safety, and of course, the underwater world.
From this generational change emerged the Ocean Reef brand, born from Sergio’s achievement of a degree in chemical engineering and the Gamberini family’s plastic and rubber production DNA.
The garden of the future is cultivated underwater
Engineer Sergio Gamberini’s noble idea is to respect natural resources and not use polluting substances for the ecosystem. Nemo’s Garden is the world’s first and only underwater cultivation system. In reality, as a good Italian, he carried out the initial cultivation experiments using basil plants, the famous local herb renowned for the prized Genoese pesto!
The underwater environment is perfect for new cultivation
Six-meter-deep and semi-transparent biospheres made of vinyl material are the ingredients for the new underwater greenhouses that are revolutionizing the world of agriculture. Specifically, the spheres have a diameter of about 2 meters and a capacity of around 800 liters of air. Inside, there are shelves capable of hosting a maximum of 100 plants.
The team of engineers and biologists constantly monitors the microclimate inside the spheres, anchored 200 meters from the beach of Noli, on the Ligurian Riviera. This ensures all the essential conditions for optimal plant growth, such as a constant temperature of about 26°C, a humidity rate of 83%, and a high concentration of carbon dioxide.
The agriculture system designed is highly eco-friendly and does not require the use of pesticides. Consequently, the workers for Nemo’s garden want to make it known that the underwater system does not alter the taste of the product, the plants grow faster, and renewable energy is derived from the sun and seawater desalination.
Surprisingly, the proudly all-Italian idea has shown the world that cultivating plants underwater is feasible and productive. In short… the proof? Sergio and his team are already cultivating various plants, starting from basil, the king of Italian cuisine, along with mint, thyme, lemon balm, marjoram, sage, oregano, and savory.
Moreover, if you want to learn more about Italian gardens (not underwater):
- Botanical Garden, Padua
- The Fall in Italian Garden
- Bomarzo: Mannerist Gardens
- An Italian perspective on Gardening
- Italian Gardens and the Glowfly
- The Gardens of Ninfa
- Garlic in the Garden
- Irises in Italian Gardens
