Biosphere 2 is one of the largest living laboratories in the world. It is an air tight greenhouse covering 3.15 acres and 7.2 million cubic feet of volume. Within Biosphere 2 are several different biomes which researchers use to experiment on Earth systems on a relatively large scale. Inside Biosphere 2 is a rainforest, a million gallon salt water ocean, a coastal fog desert, and four other wilderness ecosystems. In 1994 Biosphere 2 was converted from an experiment to test the feasibility of humans living in a closed eco-system to a large scale ecological laboratory and Western branch campus of Columbia University.

Biosphere 2 has an unprecedented capacity for sensing and controlling the environment within. Sensors monitor the vital statistics of this living laboratory including temperature, light, humidity, carbon dioxide and other qualities of the air and soil. In response to these readings, operators can control many of these variables by controlling rainfall, temperature and even carbon dioxide levels to mimic different environmental conditions. Biosphere 2 is the only laboratory in the world where a mature grove of cottonwood trees can be grown under controlled conditions permitting researchers to examine the effects of different levels of carbon dioxide on the growth of the trees.

There is also the new Under the glass interior tour that allows you to view the features under the $150 million controlled laboratory.