Precedents:

We were especially inspired by Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier’s art installation at The Mattress Factory as well as Mike Thompson’s Latro Lamp.

We chose to explore the power of algae in preserving a closed system as well as supporting other living things at the same time. We wanted our algae to be more than an independent variable in our system, it’s also a medium that brings the ecosystem together, including the exchange of air inside the water, between water and air, and being the food of living creatures in the water. The algae also serves in providing and preserving nutrition for hydroponic plants at the same time.

Process:

Originally our plan was to create an entirely hydroponic environment for the underwater plants and shrimp to thrive in. We filled our habitat almost to the very top with water, leaving only enough space for the filter to be above the water in order to ensure water movement around the tank. In our next iteration of the project, we decided that we would need to remove some of the water in the tank in order to suspend some of our sensors within the habitat for data collection.