Ecosphere (science)
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An Ecosphere is an enclosed, self-contained and self-sustaining closed ecosystem sold primarily as a gift. It can include tiny shrimp, algae, gravel, decorative shells, and gorgonia.
Ecospheres contain some of the same essential elements that are found on our planet earth. The Earth is represented by the gravel at the bottom with water filling two-thirds of the sphere, while air fills the balance of the space. Light streams in each day from the sun, and finally, life: the algae, shrimp and microbes that float and swim in the water.
The average lifespan of an ecosphere is two years but some can survive for up to 18 years. Ecospheres use resources in a way that avoids contaminating their environment so they require very little maintenance other than keeping them within a habitable temperature and providing an adequate amount of light.
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[edit] Origin of the EcoSphere
The "EcoSphere " is the result of technology developed by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA was researching self-contained communities for space explorers to live in during long-term space flights. Out of this research came the EcoSphere - an ecosystem of animal and plant life in perfect balance.
[edit] Materials used in building EcoSpheres
The shrimp in the most familiar products sold in the United States are Halocaridina rubra, a shrimp found in Hawaii's anchialine ponds and in the water table. [1]
[edit] In the media
The EcoSphere was reviewed by Carl Sagan in a 1986 Parade magazine article titled "The World that Came in the Mail."
[edit] External links
- DIY Science - Ecosphere Interactive educational website by the BBC and the Open University.
- Ecosphere Associates, Inc Sells EcoSpheres.
- The World that Came in the Mail Carl Sagan article about an EcoSphere.
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