Biosphere 2, Artificial biosphere in Oracle, Arizona
Biosphere 2 is a research facility in Oracle, Arizona, that contains multiple enclosed ecosystems under a glass dome. The complex covers about 3 acres (1.3 hectares) and includes a rainforest, an artificial ocean, a desert, mangrove wetlands, and a savanna environment.
The facility was completed in 1991 and initially hosted an experiment where eight people lived inside for two years to study closed ecological systems. Since the late 1990s, the University of Arizona has used it for climate and environmental research.
The center welcomes school groups and adults who want to learn about environmental research, offering guided walks through the different ecosystems. Visitors often see researchers working in the greenhouses and labs, which gives a direct look at how science happens here day by day.
Visitors usually explore the site on their own, guided by a mobile app that explains ongoing research and the different zones inside. The walkways pass through climate-controlled areas with high humidity in the rainforest section and drier zones, so light clothing and water are helpful.
During the first mission, the agricultural zone grew more than 80 percent of the food needed by the crew, including bananas, papayas, and sweet potatoes. The team had to harvest, process, and store everything on site, which gave an unusually close look at self-contained food systems.
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