Currently ocean farming is being revolutionised by an Indian firm. The company has constructed a massive sea combine harvester that will make harvesting of crops grown in marine farming much easier. Seaweed has traditionally been used in sushi and flavour soap, but it may now be consumed as a cuisine. Cosmetics, clothes, biofuels, and biodegradable items may all benefit from it.

Marine Farming Still Has a Stone Age Feel About It

Seaweed is frequently grown in the water on ropes or nets suspended in the ocean. However, with current technology, it is now feasible to generate it on a huge scale in the water. Marine farming,  according to Sreekumar Suryanarayana, co-founder and CEO of Sea6 Energy, a startup located in Bangalore, India, is still in the stone age. With the usage of hansua and kanni, it's comparable to stone age farming.

According to a CNN report, this technology will be as successful as tractors. Sea6 Energy, which was founded in 2010, aims to mechanise marine farming in the same way that tractors  revolutionised  agriculture. This sea combine harvester is said to be able to revolutionise marine farming. It gathers and replants seaweed in the ocean using an automated catamaran.

What Is The Mechanism Behind All Of It?

The machine harvests fully grown plants and replaces them with freshly-seeded lines as it goes back and forth between lines of seaweed. A prototype of this machine is now in operation at the  company's seaweed farm off the coast of Indonesia. Southeast Asian countries have a long history of seaweed production. The people use ropes to tie the seaweed pieces together and take them to the sea. When the crop is ready to be harvested, it is done manually. According to the Sea6 Energy company, as technology advances and the market expands, the company will deploy similar Sea Combines to a variety of nations, including India.


How Much Seaweed Market Has Expanded?

Between 2005 and 2015, the worldwide seaweed industry doubled in size, producing 33 million metric tonnes in 2018. Labor-intensive and expensive production have hampered the market's development. Seaweed production is restricted to lesser areas due to its high cost. However, the business argues that sea combine harvesters would lower prices, making seaweeds more affordable and allowing them to be employed in more areas. Marine farming will aid in the provision of food and other items to the world's rising population.