The cold, deep seawater required for OTEC has three principal advantages for aquacultural systems:

Cold – The consistent low temperature of the deep water not only allows the culture of valuable cold water organisms in the tropics, it also provides (when mixed with the surface water or allowed to warm in the tropical sun) a means of precise, reliable and cost effective temperature control over the full temperature range from 6oC to 25oC.

Nutrient-rich – The deep water is enriched in the dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and other chemicals essential in plant growth in the ocean.

Pure – Since there is very little life at the depths from which it is pumped, the deep water has very few pathogens or viable plant cells. This permits the disease-free culture of sensitive organisms and the production of pure plant cultures without interference from competing species.