Special diets, medical monitoring, basin maintenance, species selection, plant care, ecosystem control and stimulating activities are all essential to providing plants and animals with optimal living conditions.
Visitors who want to take a peek behind the scenes of the Biodôme have a unique opportunity to take on the role of 'Operator' of the Biodôme's ecosystem control station. Using an ingenious multimedia interface that displays the different life support systems, their mission is to maintain proper water, air and light conditions in the ecosystems throughout the day and year. With the help of cursors, joysticks and buttons, they need to adjust abiotic factors (i.e. non-living factors that influence living conditions) of the ecosystem they have chosen. Fascinating! And to think that nature does this—and much more—all by itself!