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Ten Efforts Underway to Colonize the Sea

Rising sea levels and new technologies have spurred new interest in living on or under the ocean surface.

Far-fetched attempts over the decades to colonize the ocean were abysmal failures. Visionaries lacked the technology, designs and support to create cities either on or under the sea. But Nicola Davison reports for the Financial Times that the dream of creating aquatic cities is finally poised to become reality.

Across the globe, there are at least ten serious efforts to achieve “ocean urbanization,” the article says. The need to develop cities tethered to water is more urgent today that ever. Rising tides, lack of space on land and a desire to tap the ocean’s vast resources are key motivators, Davison notes.

Rainwater harvesting, seaborne platforms and waste treatment at sea have been perfected to a point where floating cities are possible, the Times says. A leading proponent is the Seasteading Institute, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that aims to build the first semi-autonomous water-based city-state by 2020.


Read the full story here.

This article originally appeared on Citiscope. Citiscope is a nonprofit news outlet that covers innovations in cities around the world. More at Citiscope.org.