The non-profit group GreenWave, which won the prestigious 2015 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, is gaining attention for designing reportedly the world's first 3D multi-species ocean farms. Much like the group's marine-oriented initiatives, the ocean farm project aims to restore ocean ecosystems and biodiversity, and work toward a blue-green economy. Another objective is to create more jobs for coastal communities that will turn fishermen into restorative ocean farmers. Restorative aquaculture was a favorite in last year's Fuller Challenge, wherein SCAPE's "oyster-tecture" proposal scored the $100,000 grand prize.

The GreenWave ocean farms are designed as zero-input "vertical underwater gardens" that consist of layers of seaweed, scallops, and mussels that grow on floating ropes, which are stacked above oyster and clam cages. These crops enable the ocean farmers to produce food, fertilizers, animal feeds, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other products.

A single acre of the farm would remove pollutants as it filters millions of gallons of seawater per day, whereas the seaweed could sequester five times more carbon dioxide than land-based plants. According to GreenWave, the ocean farms are expected to grow up to 20 tons of sea vegetables and 500,000 shellfish on each acre every year.

The GreenWave team will accept the prize during the Conferring Ceremony at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn on November 19. 'We hope that our model of 3D ocean farming will be a catalyst for the restoration of ocean ecosystems,' said GreenWave Executive Director Bren Smith, who submitted the project to the competition.

'GreenWave marks the third winner that directly addresses urgent and complex issues related to our oceans: the impending collapse of marine ecosystems, the long-term effects of climate change on our coastal communities, and the economic catastrophe these communities are experiencing right now as a result,' stated Elizabeth Thompson, the Buckminster Fuller Institute's Executive Director. 'We are thrilled with the review committee's selection.'

Check out the video below, or read more about GreenWave here.

You can also find previous Fuller Challenge winners below:

Living Breakwaters wins 2014 Buckminster Fuller Challenge

‘Mushroom Plastics’ initiative Ecovative wins 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge