By Amelia Petty
A fisherman, Bren Smith, realized amidst his long hours at sea fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for a depleting population of hunted wildlife that the ocean’s potential as a food and energy source is far greater than we have been utilizing. After experiencing the hardships of the Newfoundland cod stock crash, and an eye-opening view into the unsustainable practices at a salmon aquaculture farm in Northern Canada, Smith understood that a new approach needed to be taken in the way that the world utilizes and feeds from the ocean.
Years later, Smith moved to the Long Island Sound, where he started fishing and farming various shellfish and seaweed simultaneously. What he learned was that this mode of polyculture farming required no external “inputs” of food, fertilizer, or freshwater, making it solely reliant on the nutrients in the salt water. The polyculture of growing multiple organisms in a small space increases diversity in animal life, nutrients, and the ecosystem. Therefore, the model of ocean farming was low-maintenance and produced large amounts of food. Smith went on to co-found GreenWave, a non-profit organization that specializes in helping other fishers start their own regenerative ocean farms (ROF), and to spread the message of the importance and benefits of ROF.
Not only is this model efficient, but it also helps regenerate the environment through processes such as carbon sequestration, reef-system building, and nutrient cycling. In simple terms, kelp and shellfish like clams, scallops, and mussels absorb carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus, often in the water in higher concentrations than normal due to runoff and emissions. These nutrients and molecules pollute the ocean and can have harmful effects like ocean acidification (uptake of too much carbon dioxide into the ocean from the atmosphere, reducing pH), or more frequent and damaging algae blooms. The structure of Smith’s regenerative ocean farming also helps build a reef-like ecosystem in small, 20-acre areas, that cultivate growth and species diversity. For instance, in Alaska, GreenWave farms helped maintain higher levels of herring by providing space for the fish to lay their eggs on the leaves, ropes, and branches of kelp. Herring are historically overfished, and ocean farming has continued to regenerate those lost populations. Lastly, as kelp uses photosynthesis, it generates lots of oxygen for the ocean and planet, improving water quality.
ROF has also proved to help build coastal resilience and greatly benefit coastal populations. First of all, the ropes, netting, and cage system of ROF implemented by GreenWave can help mitigate wave damage on shore caused by storms, slowing down further erosion of delicate coastal areas; it can absorb wave energy and act like a barrier from harsh weather, similar to a function of coral reefs. Second, the organisms harvested in these farms are all significant food sources that are often easy to farm due to the cage system. Next, these systems require many workers to establish, maintain, and harvest kelp and shellfish. Coastal communities that often rely on the ocean for work can benefit from the influx of jobs. Bren Smith also stated when discussing his original journey towards ROF with Patagonia to be influenced by the fact that “that there would be no jobs on a dead planet.” Ever since, Smith has worked to shift the tide away from the culture of ocean “hunting” jobs that harm the planet, towards “farming” jobs on the water that actively regenerate ecosystems.
Despite the benefits of ocean farming on building coastal resilience and protection against climate change and erosion, there is still speculation on the extent of the success of ROF for benefiting many communities. While it can provide jobs, the market for kelp is minimal and requires intensive manufacturing to turn into food, fertilizer, plastic, or other innovative kelp products. Though, future investment in expanding ocean farming nationally and worldwide will hopefully help alleviate the damages caused to the oceans by pollution, climate change, and overfishing, while also regenerating damaged ecosystems. Organizations like GreenWave are working tirelessly to spread awareness of the necessity for solutions to global warming, and ocean pollution just like regenerative ocean farming.(Check out GreenWave’s website here: https://www.greenwave.org/).
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