SeaGro

Half of the world’s population faces water scarcity every year, 1/3 of the world’s ground water is in distress, and 2,000 Hectares of agricultural areas are lost daily due to salt degradation. It is obvious we need to manage water, land, and agriculture resources more responsibly, and innovate to bring food security to those most vulnerable.

We looked at historic water scarcity issues to better understand the magnitude of the problem. Not only is climate change driving the need for clean water access in more places, but destabilizing ecosystems has presented another problem, food scarcity. Coastal fishing towns around the world are experiencing these issues first hand. SeaGro offers a solution to mitigate lost jobs and limited food supply in these communities by enabling marine real estate for agriculture.

Namib desert beetles offer a brilliant solution to enhance atmospheric water collection. Covered in an array of bumps, each about .5 to 1.5 mm in diameter, water condenses on the apex of these bumps quicker than a smooth surface. As to droplet of condensation grows, gravity pulls it down the shell, collecting additional moisture, and eventually to a collection point where the beetle can drink from.

This device builds on previous research in desalination technology by utilizing solar heat to create water vapor, and transport it to a separate vessel to be condensed. Two key innovating factors in this design are the solar heating source, and the biomimicry layer for condensation.