The idea for Nemo’s Garden, the first underwater marine farming habitat, was born in 2011 while the Gamberini family, manufacturers of Ocean Reef full-face masks for divers, was vacationing in Genoa, Italy. Sergio, patriarch and company president, wondered what it might look like to grow plants in the environment where he dives.

“Imagine pushing a glass down into a sink full of water — as long as you don’t tilt it, you have an air pocket,” says Luca Gamberini, son of Sergio and Ocean Reef marketing manager. This concept was the foundation for the project, which relies on a series of plastic balloons, some with volumes as high as 3 tons, anchored to the seafloor at depths ranging from 10 to 30 feet. Inside, they grow basil, lettuce, potatoes and strawberries.

The Gamberinis started with salt-tolerant plants, such as basil, that would also do well with humidity. As for light, the shallow depths let in 40 to 60 percent of natural sunlight — more than enough to sustain the plants. The crops thrive in the steady temperature inside the biospheres, due to the Mediterranean’s insulating effects; water temps rarely dip below 72 degrees.

Another advantage is that the environments have no parasites. They’ve also created a habitat for seahorses, octopuses and fish eggs.

The results of Nemo’s Garden will be on display at Expo 2015, a world fair themed “feeding the planet,” held May to October in Milan. Luca will also announce the project on Kickstarter, hoping to source further income and educate people on the project’s potential.

Says Luca, “It went from a fun thing — mainly a stunt for marketing — to something that could really and truly be a solution to the world hunger problem.”