Methods and Apparatuses for Plant Aeration

A method for plant aeration comprising:

• providing a plant-aeration cell comprising:
• an air reservoir unit comprising material that is gas-impermeable;
• and
• a root holder unit connected to the air reservoir unit, the root holder unit comprising a first set of one or more openings and a second set of one or more openings, the air reservoir unit and the root holder unit forming a reservoir from which gas cannot escape when the reservoir is occupied by liquid having a level that is above the openings in the first and second sets of openings;
• disposing the cell in an environment that is exposed to liquid continuously or at least intermittently, such that:
• a plant root extends through the one or more openings in the first set and into the reservoir;
• and
• liquid can flow into the reservoir to a level above the openings in the first and second sets such that gas is trapped in the reservoir above the level of the liquid.

A system for aeration of one or more plants, comprising:

• a root holder tray comprising a bottom layer and a top layer, the bottom layer and top layer cooperatively defining a plurality of root reservoirs, each root reservoir having a top and a bottom, the top layer of the root holder tray having a plurality of openings, each opening being in communication with a root reservoir and disposed a distance below the top of the root reservoir;
• an air reservoir tray defining an air reservoir having a closed top end and an open bottom end;
• and
• a tray rack configured to be coupled to one or more root holder trays and one or more air reservoir trays such that the one or more root holder trays and the one or more air reservoir trays are in a stacked, alternating orientation;
• and
• the system being configured such that if a root holder tray is disposed in the tray rack, an air reservoir tray is disposed in the tray rack above the root holder tray, and the tray rack is submersed in liquid, then at least a portion of each root reservoir of the root holder tray will fill with the liquid and the closed top end of the air reservoir tray will trap air.

A method of environmental remediation, comprising:

• disposing a plurality of plant-aeration cells along a coast between a high-tide point and a low-tide point, each plant-aeration cell comprising:
• an air reservoir unit comprising material that is gas-impermeable;
• and
• a root holder unit connectable to the air reservoir unit, the root holder unit comprising a first set of one or more openings and a second set of one or more openings;
• the air reservoir unit and the root holder unit forming, when connected to each other, a reservoir from which gas cannot escape when the reservoir is occupied by liquid having a level that is above the openings in the first and second sets of openings;
• and
• disposing a plurality of plants adjacent the plurality of plant-aeration cells such that at least one root from each plant extends through at least one opening in the first and second sets of openings of at least one plant-aeration cell.

A system for algae cultivation, comprising:

• a light-cycle container having an outer sidewall defining a cavity and having a plurality of air reservoirs, the light-cycle container configured such that:
• (a) if the light-cycle container is filled with liquid, at least a portion of the plurality of air reservoirs will trap gas;
• and
• (b) if light is incident on the light-cycle container, at least a portion of the incident light is permitted to enter the cavity through the sidewall;
• a dark-cycle container having an outer sidewall defining a cavity, the dark-cycle container having a plurality of air reservoirs within the cavity, the dark-cycle container configured such that:
• (a) if the dark-cycle container is filled with liquid, at least a portion of the plurality of air reservoirs will trap gas;
• and
• (b) if light is incident on the dark-cycle container, at least a portion of the incident light is not permitted to enter the cavity through the sidewall;
• and
• a control unit coupled to the light-cycle container and to the dark-cycle container, the control unit configured such that if liquid is present in one of the light-cycle container and the dark-cycle container, the control unit can pump the liquid to the other of the light-cycle container and the dark-cycle container.