Symbios

What it does

Symbios automates depth regulation to enable year-round seaweed cultivation. Combined with partial harvesting, it extends yield while creating stable habitats for marine ecosystems. Digital monitoring reduces maintenance and disruption to marine life.

Your inspiration

Oceans are the Earth’s most diverse and vast habitats, playing a critical role in regulating the climate. They absorb one third of global carbon dioxide emissions and produce over half of the oxygen we breathe. Yet the vital importance of marine ecosystems – for both humanity and the planet – is often overlooked. Meanwhile, rising global food demand puts growing pressure on marine spaces for food production. As ocean farming becomes an expanding sector of agriculture, we must ask: will we repeat the destructive patterns of industrial land-based farming, or can we design systems that sustain both humans and ocean ecosystems?

How it works

Designed for seaweed farming in Northern Europe, Symbios consists of one central mother buoy and twelve daughter buoys. The daughter buoys regulate the depth of the cultivation lines on which the seaweed grows. Their buoyancy is controlled through air chambers that are filled or emptied via a system managed by the mother buoy. This automated depth regulation allows the seaweed to be lowered into cooler water layers during the warmer months, when seaweed usually doesn't grow. This enables year-round cultivation which, in combination with seasonal partial harvesting, creates stable, continuous habitats for marine life. A sensor unit at the end of the structure collects key environmental data, which the mother buoy transmits to a land-based interface. There, farmers can monitor conditions and adjust depth remotely via an app or desktop dashboard, reducing the need for on-site maintenance and minimizing disruption to ecosystems.

Design process

The project is the outcome of my Bachelor's thesis in Product Design at the Bauhaus University Weimar, developed in collaboration with the design studio PHOENIX. It began with the question of how design can contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity. Therefore, the research phase played a central role in shaping the concept. By combining thorough desk research with twelve expert interviews – including marine biologists, algae farmers, ocean engineers, and seaweed industry professionals – I derived insights that laid the foundation for the final concept. This grounded the project in both ecological understanding and technical feasibility. Several of the experts were consulted continuously throughout the process to validate my work, assumptions and refine details. The design evolved iteratively through sketches, tape renders, and 3D modelling. Symbios is a design vision based on interdisciplinary collaboration, aiming to unite the needs of both humans and nature to foster balanced coexistence in the shared use of marine resources.

How it is different

While conventional farms rely on rudimentary structures and seasonal farming from October to April, Symbios enables year-round cultivation through automated depth regulation. Partial harvesting allows seaweed to regrow without yearly replanting, instead of cutting the seaweed down completely after six month of growing – destroying habitats. This reduces workload, increases yield, and creates continuous habitats for marine life. Remote digital monitoring lets farmers track conditions, reduces farm visits and minimizes disturbance to sea life from boats. It also eliminates the winter blind spot, when farmers usually have no control over the farm and remain unaware of possible damage, such as from drifting ice. Thereby Symbios transforms the farm into a resilient and self-sustaining habitat, making it a more eco-friendly system.

Future plans

To take Symbios to the next level, further research, technical development and testing are essential. Collaboration with seaweed farming companies – such as Arctic Seaweed, which already supported my thesis – will be crucial to refine and validate the concept. Key aspects include system scalability, technical durability, financial implementation and identifying real-world test sites. A physical prototype and field setup will be required to evaluate functionality under nearshore conditions.

Awards

As the project was just recently completed, it hasn't been submitted to any other award than the James Dyson Award yet.