A Trip to the Ocean @ Biosphere2

Matt Rogers · 12-14-2003, 09:59 PM

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my parents and I took a trip to see the amazing Biosphere2.

I was really excited to see the 'ocean' component of the biosphere - a 750,000 gallon tank with a beach, reef and giant wave maker.

_{This giant surge device put out about 4" waves that went clear across it!}

From above I was in awe. The thing was huge and housed in a giant tall glass roof. Intense.

At this point the tour guide said they used 'Instant Ocean' synthetic salt 'which contained everything they need.' * They also built it to be 'self sustaining with fish that eat algae' (paraphrasing)

Well those tidbits made my eyebrows go up.
FIRST RED FLAG

After thinking about that, we eventually went below.

_{Those are some big pipes!}

The first thing I noticed was the display glass hadn't been clean in ages. Completely covered in algae. *SECOND RED FLAG [smiley=worried.gif]

Thick algae covered most rocks.. not the good kind either. There were a lot of tangs. And most of them looked ok, but the corals...

There were some softies, but most of the hard stuff I saw was dead or dying. *[smiley=wreck.gif]

These display windows were the only parts of the 'ocean' with artifical light. Just a couple spots which you can see in the top photos above.

Ironically the smaller display tanks in the rest of the exhibit had similar problems. One had a half dead pagoda coral, more algae problems, and aiptasias.

It's a shame that something that started with all the right ambitions is obviously going through hard times.

After the original experiment, the Biosphere changed ownership. Columbia University began to do Co2 *experiments in a few of the greenhouses. Something tells me Columbia University didn't do much with the 'ocean' judging from what I saw. It is now rumored to being potentially sold again.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but ...

I was shocked at what I saw. I hope the new owners will give it a water change.

It's not too late to turn that tank around. It has the potential to be the coolest little ocean in the world.

[smiley=worried.gif] [smiley=worried.gif] [smiley=worried.gif]

seawillow · 12-15-2003, 07:41 AM

Thanks for sharing with us Matt...looks like an awesome place to visit...too bad the "ocean" has been let go....maybe the new owners will do what needs to be done....

Matt Rogers · 12-15-2003, 08:04 AM

I hope so seawillow! If not maybe they will let us do it.

Just to clarify, the purpose of the tourguide quotes was to convey that they were suggesting that their tank did not need human intervention, inspite of what I saw below.

JohnO · 12-15-2003, 12:32 PM

[quote author=Matt Rogers link=board=General;num=1071478746;start=0#2 date=12/15/03 at 11:04:50]
Just to clarify, the purpose of the tourguide quotes was to convey that they were suggesting that their tank did not need human intervention, inspite of what I saw below. *

[/quote]

A fairly typical view of some of the scientific and hobbyist communities. No way can anyone replicate nature and only a fool would try in a holistic sense

John

Craig Manoukian · 12-15-2003, 03:29 PM

As always, thanks for the great information Matt!

turbo4603 · 12-15-2003, 03:56 PM

it looked really neat and interesting. But yeah it was a real putdown huh.

Matt Rogers · 12-15-2003, 04:53 PM

Thanks everybody. Yeah my mood definitely changed when I got to see it from below.

Can anyone put a finger on what type of algae that is running rampant in that tank?

That could be a clue to what is going on. Maybe we can deduce what is feeding that algae. [smiley=vulcan.gif]

Scuba · 12-15-2003, 06:04 PM

I had thought of going there a few years back, but did not make it. I may have to go there in the next year or two.

JohnO · 12-15-2003, 06:17 PM

[quote author=Matt Rogers link=board=General;num=1071478746;start=0#6 date=12/15/03 at 19:53:23]Thanks everybody. Yeah my mood definitely changed when I got to see it from below.

Can anyone put a finger on what type of algae that is running rampant in that tank?

That could be a clue to what is going on. Maybe we can deduce what is feeding that algae. *[smiley=vulcan.gif]
[/quote]

Looks like common old hair algae to me :-)

John

Matt Rogers · 12-15-2003, 09:52 PM

John that would be my first guess too, but seeing it on such a scale kind of knocked me for a loop... any guesses on how they accomplished such a mess?

I wish I knew more!

I wrote somebody at a Columbia, but I haven't heard back.. I'd love to have their perspective.. I gave them two weeks before I posted this thread by the way.