Ocean colonization

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Ocean colonization is the theory and practice of permanent human settlement of oceans. Such settlements may float on the surface of the water, or be secured to the ocean floor, or exist in an intermediate position.

1 Purposes
2 Economy
- 2.1 Food
- 2.2 Power
3 Existing communities
4 Millennial project
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Purposes

One primary advantage of ocean colonization is the expansion of livable area. Additionally, it might offer various other possible benefits such as expanded resource access, novel forms of governance (for instance micronations), and new recreational activities.

Many lessons learned from ocean colonization will likely prove applicable to space colonization. The ocean may prove simpler to colonize than space and thus occur first, providing a proving ground for the latter. In particular, the issue of sovereignty may bear many similarities between ocean and space colonization; adjustments to social life under harsher circumstances would apply similarly to the ocean and to space; many technologies may have uses in both environments.

[edit] Economy

Central to any practical attempt at ocean colonization will be the underlying economic reality. To become self-sustaining, the colony will aim to produce output of a kind which holds a comparative advantage by occurring on the ocean. While it can save the cost of acquiring land, building a floating structure that survives in the open ocean has its own costs. Oceanfront land can hold a very high value, especially in countries with no income taxes, so building space and selling it may prove popular. Tourists often visit warm locales during the winter; indeed, tourism drives the economies of many small island nations. The colony might also compete as an offshore financial centre.

[edit] Food

While importing food and fishing may compose the majority of ocean settlement food consumption, other possibilities include hydroponics and open-ocean aquaculture. Thus, an ocean settlement may be either a net importer or a net exporter of food goods.

[edit] Power

Such settlements or cities would probably import diesel and run conventional power plants as small islands everywhere do. However, other possibilities include solar power, geothermal vents, tidal energy, nuclear plants, deep-sea oil deposits, and developing/farming a species of seaweed or algae for biofuel.

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is another potential energy source. All that is required is tropical (warm) surface water and access to deep, very cold water. The difference in temperature is used to drive an electric generator via a turbine. (There is an added benefit in that the deep cold water usually is more fertile than surface water in the open ocean, and can support mariculture).

[edit] Existing communities

Similar communities already exist in the form of hotels, research stations, houseboats, houses on stilts, land below sea level behind dikes, vacation cruise ships, ocean oil rigs, etc.

Further, humans spreading to small islands throughout the world has already occurred and is ongoing. Using current technology to create artificial islands is just an incremental step in continuing the spread of humanity.

[edit] Millennial project

In his book, "The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps", Marshall Savage puts forth one of the most comprehensive plans for ocean colonization (as one of eight steps toward colonizing the entire galaxy.) The proposal described plans for obtaining colony materials, food, shelter, water and power from the ocean. In brief:

Power is fundamental, and would be provided by ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Power storage would be as hydrogen.
Colony structures would be hexagonal lilypads anchored within one degree of the equator, a region without violent storms. The lilypads would start as magnesium mesh, a metal obtainable from seawater extraction. Thick salt crusts would be grown and maintained on the mesh with electrical salt deposition. The result is a material somewhat resembling a shell of reinforced concrete and is called seacrete. Unfortunately, the information in the book about how much energy it takes to make seacrete is low by a factor of 42 ^[1]. So essentially all the cost/time estimates are low by a factor of 42.
Water would be produced abundantly as a side-effect of the open-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion.
Food would be obtained by aquaculture, and intensive hydroponics, including fresh-water aquaculture performed in plastic pools. The needed water would be from the open-cycle OTEC plants.
Exports would be fresh food, light manufactured goods, power in the form of hydrogen and intellectual property.

An internet mailing list formed to attempt to organize it. The group incorporated as the "Living Universe Foundation." The list was still in existence as of 2007.^[2]