Contaminating material is extracted from a body of water by providing a floating bed on which plants such as Cat Tails can be grown with their roots hanging into the body of water over an area where extraction of contaminating material from the body of water is required, growing the plants to take up the contaminating material from the body of water and harvesting the upstanding plant mass by moving the bed to a harvesting machine which cuts away the plant mass leaving at least part of the root mass to continue growing into a new season. The bed can be returned to a location for the next season.

Contaminating material is extracted from a body of water by providing a floating bed on which plants such as Cat Tails can be grown with their roots hanging into the body of water over an area where extraction of contaminating material from the body of water is required, growing the plants to take up the contaminating material from the body of water and harvesting the upstanding plant mass by moving the bed to a harvesting machine which cuts away the plant mass leaving at least part of the root mass to continue growing into a new season. The bed can be returned to a location for the next season.

Contaminating material is extracted from a body of water by providing a floating bed on which plants such as Cat Tails can be grown with their roots hanging into the body of water over an area where extraction of contaminating material from the body of water is required, growing the plants to take up the contaminating material from the body of water and harvesting the upstanding plant mass by moving the bed to a harvesting machine which cuts away the plant mass leaving at least part of the root mass to continue growing into a new season. The bed can be returned to a location for the next season.

Contaminating material is extracted from a body of water by providing a floating bed on which plants such as Cat Tails can be grown with their roots hanging into the body of water over an area where extraction of contaminating material from the body of water is required, growing the plants to take up the contaminating material from the body of water and harvesting the upstanding plant mass by moving the bed to a harvesting machine which cuts away the plant mass leaving at least part of the root mass to continue growing into a new season. The bed can be returned to a location for the next season.

Described herein is an apparatus and system for economically and efficiently harvesting and controlling the growth of aquatic vegetation.

Described herein is an apparatus and system for economically and efficiently harvesting and controlling the growth of aquatic vegetation.

Apparatus and method for harvesting biomass from a dead zone in a body of water includes structure and/or function whereby, preferably, at least one guide float is configured to float below the water surface. At least one support structure is configured to be coupled to the bottom beneath water, and is configured to support a substantially rigid frame within the dead zone. A main funnel is coupled to (i) the at least one guide float and (ii) the substantially rigid frame within the dead zone, and is configured to collect descending biomass and funnel it toward a lower funnel that is coupled to the bottom of the main funnel. A collection canister is disposed adjacent the lower funnel and is configured to store the descending biomass. Hauling structure is coupled to the guide float and is configured to haul the collection canister from the lower funnel to the surface.

Apparatus and method for harvesting biomass from a dead zone in a body of water includes structure and/or function whereby, preferably, at least one guide float is configured to float below the water surface. At least one support structure is configured to be coupled to the bottom beneath water, and is configured to support a substantially rigid frame within the dead zone. A main funnel is coupled to (i) the at least one guide float and (ii) the substantially rigid frame within the dead zone, and is configured to collect descending biomass and funnel it toward a lower funnel that is coupled to the bottom of the main funnel. A collection canister is disposed adjacent the lower funnel and is configured to store the descending biomass. Hauling structure is coupled to the guide float and is configured to haul the collection canister from the lower funnel to the surface.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media that implement an autonomous or semi-autonomous growth platform used to control live cargo exposures to environmental parameters by changing depth in an offshore environment. For example, the growth platform can be lowered at night so that farmed seaweed can perform luxury uptake of nutrients and raised during the daytime so that the farmed seaweed can capture sunlight.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media that implement an autonomous or semi-autonomous growth platform used to control live cargo exposures to environmental parameters by changing depth in an offshore environment. For example, the growth platform can be lowered at night so that farmed seaweed can perform luxury uptake of nutrients and raised during the daytime so that the farmed seaweed can capture sunlight.