What are those wacky environmentalists up to now?

Answer: Growing lettuce on top of fish tanks!

Growing lettuce on top of fish tanks is part of a growing research area called aquaponics.

The idea behind aquaponics is the creation of an artificial eco-system where plants purify the water for fish, and fish produce waste products that can actually be used as fertilizer for plants. Then, every once and a while, humans get to come along and eat both the plants and the fish. Typically, leafy greens are grown on top of the tank, and Talapia are a popular fish for the tank part of the system.

The main benefit of an aquaponics system is that, currently, fish farms often produce large amounts of waste products that are harmful if released into the environment. Similarly, crops like lettuce are often boosted by the addition of chemical fertilizers that can damage the soil and surrounding eco-systems. Aquaponics aims to solve both of these problems by combining these two endeavors in one harmonious system. Neat! To see a picture of an aquaponics setup, check out this page on aquaponics from the National Sustainable Agricultural Information Service (funded by the US Department of Agriculture)

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