Man make Earth?

Biosphere II is a project involving millions of dollars and continual energy resources, in an attempt to recreate Earth's natural climatic systems such as its magroves, desserts, forests and oceans.

One of the main exhibits of this manmade closed ecological system in Tucson, Arizona, is the manmade million gallon ocean, where with the generation and production of waves, current and nutrient systems, hopes to conjure a coral reef habitat similar to that which exists in the world's tropical waters.

Since its construction in 1987-1989, this ocean project has only succeeded in generating a sparse and algae dominated system - a finding that gives little surprise to scientists.

Natural coral reefs and reef habitats are developed and maintained by an intricate and powerful system of actions and reactions. The Biosphere II project is an example of the difficulties involved in an attempt to unnaturally recreate this system on such a significant and massive scale.

Humans have long marvelled at the forces that create and maintain the Earth, and though the knowledge and capacity of being able to recreate these systems may seem like insurance, after a decade of trial, it has proved little reason or excuse to neglect efforts and reliability of conservation and preservation through sustainable living today; as the technology to build, not the Earth, but just one of its climates, will take a lifetime, if not more, to succeed.

This paper describes how the low energy (water & wave) of the system determined the community they found there now. Also interesting is the mention of mortality rates of the macrofauna (fishes, lobsters etc).

Pictures from http://www.bio2.com/

Further reading:

Island-building covers coral reefs, alters Gulf environment, 25 Feb 05

Dubai's Man-Made Islands Anger Environmentalists, 27 Oct 05