Nemo's Garden

Just offshore from Noli, a cluster of transparent plastic biospheres sits on the seabed, housing what is arguably the world's most unusual farm. Nemo's Garden is an experiment in underwater agriculture, where tomatoes, basil, strawberries, lettuce, and other crops grow inside air-filled domes submerged 6 to 10 metres below the surface. The stable temperature, controlled humidity, and CO2 enrichment inside the biospheres have produced surprisingly vigorous plants.

The garden was created by the Ocean Reef Group and has become both a scientific project and a tourist attraction. Glass-bottom boat tours from Noli's beach provide a view of the domes from above, and during the summer season the organisers sometimes offer guided snorkelling or diving visits to look inside. It is a genuinely strange sight — a cluster of alien modules on the Ligurian seafloor, with green plants clearly visible inside — and one you will not find anywhere else in the world. Check the Nemo's Garden website for visiting information before you arrive.

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Nemo's Garden was started in 2012 by Sergio Gamberini, who wondered whether underwater pressure and stable temperatures could help plants grow faster and in more controlled conditions. The biospheres sit on the seabed about 6 to 10 metres below the surface and are anchored by chains. The basil grown here has been found to contain higher concentrations of essential oils than the same plants grown on land — an unexpected result that has attracted interest from scientists and the food industry alike.