So I just finished scrolling and double checking all three threads about underwater civilizations, and while I don’t have any full thesis and fully thought out ideas on the subject (though I am of the opinion they can exist) I noticed several instances where people bemoaned having to scroll through for all of the already done ideas, and wished a list was compiled but didn’t want to do it themselves.
I figured I might as well do that, and have compiled a list in miscellaneous order of proposed ideas, that have been discussed, some having been disproven and some not.
Here we go:
- Low melting point metals for Hydrothermal Vents
- Forges built around vents and somehow forcing water out to increase temperature
- Scaly foot Gastropoda analog domestication for ‘metallic’ scales
- Electric Eel domestication as generators
- Bioengineering in general
- Mechanical Computers/intermediate instruments until metalworking
- simple compasses /similar generators
- Current utilization w/ waterwheel to generate electricity
- Chemicals that burn in contact with water, typically isolated in caves
- Anything that can burn in water/Greek fire
- Thermite, phosphorous, etc
- Amphibious people
- Amphibious Slaves
- Crustacean society
- Crustaceans utilizing mostly seamless (only seams adapted to release extra heat/allow limb movement) going by mid ocean ridges to avoid predators and eventually smelting
- Octopi in shallows to Squid in depths symbiosis, idea specifically also had them on a Europa like planet and thinking about space by firing extremophile microbes through geysers, making rockets via ceramic plating and limpet teeth analogs.
- Water wires carry electricity when separated from other water
- Pressure forges force out water
- Biomaterials: woody something, bones, etc.
- Material unique to a planet
- Fire breathing Sea dragon with a forge in lungs
- Amphibious beast of burden Carrie’s sophont a to surface in water filled stomach/pouch
- Bubble Forge
- Floating surface forges/fire
- Sulfate dissolving to ‘forge’
- Fire in water Vapor?
- Black Smokers can and do melt metal and have organisms adapted to them
- Thallium Reactors
- O2 from swim bladders/lungs
- Underwater launching rockets
- Alternate Tech Trees
- Plants/Cellulose can be harder and lighter than steel, can be done irl, problem is isolating pure, mesoscopic cellulose
- Cold Forging/Shaping
- Organism that soaks up water (to allow for space to forge)
- Fluorine vs. Oxygen Burning
- CO2 bubble filter on bubble forge
- Uplifting
- Symbiosis w/ surface species
- Cave amphibians/Cave lakes forging
- Forging using Cave air pockets
- Stone Age w/ advancement but no tech (ex. Native Americans/Incans, etc.
- Bacteria bonding accidentally to dropped stone tools near vent, same bacteria creates Iron covered tools, similar to Scaly Foot Gastropoda irl
Thought I might add in my own two cents, surprisingly oil is not once discussed even once, and it occurs naturally seeping from the sea floor.
Hope this is helpful to somebody.