Page 125 of Mobile Phone Cables and Accessories Catalog by uCables.com

uCables.com Catalog Gadgets Reference: ECOSFERASP Name: Ecosphere self-sufficient Ecosystem in Oval shape 13cm glass Price: 98 Euros An EcoSphere is a working ecological system and its biological cycle represents a simple version of Earth s own ecosystem. While beautiful to look at, it demonstrates the delicate balance of a closed system like the Earth and contains some of the same essential elements that are found on our planet. The Earth is represented by the gravel at the bottom, (with) water filling approximately two-thirds of the system and air filling the balance of the space. Fire is represented by (the) light. And finally to complete the system, life the shrimp, the algae and the bacteria. The EcoSphere is the result of technology developed at NASA s research laboratories. NASA scientists were researching self-contained communities for space explorers to live in during long-term space flights. And out of this work came the EcoSphere an ecosystem of animal and plant life in perfect balance with nature. Each system comprises a clear soup of filtered seawater containing gravel and gorgonia (the non-living branch like material) together with some shrimp, algae and bacteria. Each is a key component of the ecosystem. The gravel, gorgonia and glass all provide surface areas to which the micro-organisms can attach themselves. Reference: ECOSFERASS Name: Ecosphere a self-sufficient Ecosystem in a round 10cm glass Price: 99 Euros An EcoSphere is a working ecological system and its biological cycle represents a simple version of Earth s own ecosystem. While beautiful to look at, it demonstrates the delicate balance of a closed system like the Earth and contains some of the same essential elements that are found on our planet. The Earth is represented by the gravel at the bottom, (with) water filling approximately two-thirds of the system and air filling the balance of the space. Fire is represented by (the) light. And finally to complete the system, life the shrimp, the algae and the bacteria. The EcoSphere is the result of technology developed at NASA s research laboratories. NASA scientists were researching self-contained communities for space explorers to live in during long-term space flights. And out of this work came the EcoSphere an ecosystem of animal and plant life in perfect balance with nature. Each system comprises a clear soup of filtered seawater containing gravel and gorgonia (the non-living branch like material) together with some shrimp, algae and bacteria. Each is a key component of the ecosystem. The gravel, gorgonia and glass all provide surface areas to which the micro-organisms can attach themselves. The EcoSphere works by gathering energy from the light and converting it biochemically. Light, together with the carbon dioxide in the water, enables the algae to produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The shrimp breathe the oxygen in the water and graze on the algae and the bacteria. The waste from the shrimp is broken down by the bacteria into nutrients, which in turn feed the algae. The shrimp and the bacteria also give off carbon dioxide and the cycle is renewed when the algae use this once again to produce oxygen. EcoSpheres need warmth as well as light to function correctly. Keeping the temperature fairly constant assists the long-term viability of the system. The shrimp have reproduced in some systems, but this is rare. The algae and the bacteria reproduce continuously. Over time gradual changes may occur the oldest systems end up with the blue-green algae (the green algae having become exhausted) but this can still produce sufficient oxygen to sustain the shrimp. In this way the system goes through transitions, starting out quite clear, then changing to a slightly cloudy cast and eventually becoming clear again. The average life of the small EcoSpheres is two to three years. The larger systems tend to last longer because they contain more shrimp. It is not possible to be precise about this because much depends on the differing light and temperature conditions each system experiences. The actual age of the shrimp is also unknown. Some EcoSpheres have lasted ten years or more. The shrimp eat the algae and the bacteria. If you watch closely you will see them feeding. If the green algae is no longer visible, don t worry, there will still be plenty of other algae and bacteria for them to graze on. The pale translucent shrimp-like images sometimes seen lying on the bottom are exoskeletons, which are shed by the shrimp (shrimp are crustaceans which means their skeletons are on the outside rather than the inside and they soon grow a new one, which expands and hardens). Nothing goes to waste in an EcoSphere these are eaten by the shrimp and the bacteria. Product specification: Size: Small Round Ecosphere, 10 cm diamater, 0.5 Liters Number of shrimps: 3-4 123

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