Biosphere 2 is a closed ecological system in Arizona built in 1987 for researching ecosystems and creating enclosed environments. Despite initial success, the project was plagued by problems and criticism, and is now used for general ecosystem research and as a tourist attraction.
Biosphere 2 is a scientific facility in Oracle, Arizona, built in 1987 with the intent of researching the complex interactions that occur within an ecosystem. Additionally, the structure was used to explore the possibility of creating enclosed and protected environments in hostile locations, such as other planets. Although Biosphere 2 was started with the best of intentions, it quickly became the subject of derision and ridicule in the scientific community.
The seeds for Biosphere 2 were sown in the early 1980s, when John Polk Allen and Margret Augustine teamed up to form Space Biosphere Ventures, the company that built Biosphere 2. After sketching out the plans and acquiring land, construction of the The 3.15-acre facility began in 1987, and continued until 1991. The facility was designed as an artificial closed ecological system, meaning it was completely sealed off from the outside world. It was named “Biosphere 2” in reference to the first biosphere, the Earth itself.
Within Biosphere 2, a number of miniature ecosystems have been established including plains, a tropical forest, and a small ocean. The facility also included living quarters and research facilities so that Biosphere 2 residents could perform experiments. In 1991, after some brief trials, a crew of eight was admitted to the facility.
For the next two years, the crew lived and worked inside the facility, totally isolated from the rest of the world. Despite being carefully selected for the mission, the crew were ultimately plagued by severe interpersonal problems, compounded by difficulties with food production and air quality. Although the group recycled their waste and attempted to live entirely within a closed system, several injections of pure oxygen were required to sustain them, as carbon dioxide levels rose dangerously. Critics of the project have also suggested that food and supplies were smuggled during this supposedly sealed period.
Another crew lived in the biosphere for six months, but by then the scientific community had largely dismissed Biosphere 2 as a viable research facility, and the experiment ended early. In 1995, Columbia University assumed management of the facility, using it for general ecosystem research and other scientific research. The University did not maintain the biosphere’s sealed status and declined to renew its contract in 2003. In 2006, the facility and site were sold to a developer, who transferred management to the University of Arizona in 2007 The university intends to use the facility for climate change research and also operates it as a tourist attraction.
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