California Science Center: Ecosystems

	Visit our newest exhibit gallery! Free Admission! VIEW THE ECOSYSTEMS PHOTO GALLERY In our world, everything is connected. Plants, animals, people, weather, water, soil—all are part of a delicate balance. Living things can change their environments—and through a process called adaptation, environments can even change living things! With a visit to Ecosystems, discover amazing environments from the familiar to the fantastic, and find out how the physical and living worlds affect--and in some ways, define—each other. Investigate the gallery's eight Zones, each of which explores a different ecological principle: Extreme Zone Peer into some of the world's harshest environments—deserts, poles, the rocky shore and deep-sea vents—and see how life adapts to survive. Forest Zone Explore the kelp forest to learn about the wide variety of life forms in an ecosystem, where the diversity comes from, and why it's important. River Zone Get splashed and sandy while you investigate the ways flowing fluids carry energy and materials from place to place. Island Zone Find out how isolation reveals the processes of evolution and adaptation. Rot Room See how rotting animals and plants help make the soil ready to support new life. Global Zone Discover the ways living and physical ecosystems interact on a global scale, and find out how Earth itself is one huge ecosystem. L.A. Zone Learn about the challenges faced by urban ecosystems when it comes to water, waste, energy and wildlife. Family Discovery Room Explore how our homes are habitats, providing us—as well as pets and pests—with food, water and shelter. iPhone/iPod Touch App Check-out our new Ecosystems app. It's available now in both English and Spanish. Kelp Forest Restoration Learn about the Science Center's efforts to restore kelp forests off our coast. Conversations with the Curator Learn about Dr. Chuck Kopczak's collection trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Collecting Pallid Bats in Texas Read about our adventures in Texas. Seafood Watch Check out the Seafood Watch Cafe on the first floor of Ecosystems and learn how you can make choices for healthy oceans. And for more information, please visit the Seafood Watch Website.