a system and methods for enhancing mass production of algae , diatoms or other photosynthetic organism is described . the system and methods are useful in applications such as energy production , fuels , foods , pharmaceuticals , plastics , and co 2 fixation . the system and methods involve the use of a submersed rotating pole on which lights are branched out at strategic intervals in order to appropriately increase contact between photosynthetic water - based organisms and light . rotation can timed so as to disperse light and / or nutrients when the organism is in a receiving mode . a process flow system is also described which can be scaled for the mass production of photosynthetic based organism . this process system makes use of centralized automatable controls and linear or parallel growth tanks . the system can be used for continuous or batch methods of production of bio - mass whose values such as lipids or carbohydrate can be extracted for the production of fuels or other byproducts .