There is a long successful history of ships employing seaplanes predating "dry" aircraft carriers. Small seaplanes are easily employed from ships:

And ironically, the U.S. Navy was the best at doing it until they gave up in 1949! The USN could actually recover small seaplanes at sea during rough wave conditions while moving using towed sleds.

Large seaplanes were also an USN specialty until 1968, though recovery entailed a sealanding.

Small and even large seaplanes can be easily catapulted from ships.

The ability to operate NLMB seaplanes is there if we do the research to regain a lost capability!