Imagine a lunar Noah’s Ark, but instead of two-by-two, it’s millions by millions — and instead of a big boat, it’s a frosty
moon crater. This intriguing idea is gaining traction among scientists who suggest using the moon as a celestial safehouse for Earth's
endangered species.
Earth is bustling with life, with estimates suggesting up to 8 million species call our planet home. Yet, over 1 million of these are facing imminent extinction, often before we even get a chance to discover them. To combat this
biodiversity crisis, Mary Hagedorn from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute proposes an innovative solution: a
lunar biorepository.
This lunar library would store “fibroblast cells” — essential building blocks of animal skin that support tissues and organs. By cryopreserving these cells in the moon's naturally cold regions, we could potentially clone and revive species that might otherwise vanish forever.
Freezing life in time
Cryopreservation – the process of deep-freezing biological material to suspend its biological functions — may be a common theme in sci-fi, but you may be surprised to know that it is already a proven technology on Earth. The only problem is that our planet lacks natural cryogenic conditions, forcing us to rely on expensive, energy-intensive methods to keep samples frozen.
That’s why scientists are looking at the moon's polar craters, where some areas haven't seen sunlight in billions of years. These permanent shadows maintain temperatures well below -196°C, creating a perfect environment for passive cryopreservation. Unlike Earth, where maintaining such conditions is a costly affair, the moon offers a naturally occurring deep freeze.
If this lunar library sounds familiar, that's because it echoes the concept behind the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often dubbed the "
Doomsday Vault." Nestled in the Arctic permafrost, the Svalbard vault stores seeds from around the world, ensuring agricultural diversity in the face of global crises.
A logistical mountain
However, sending our endangered species'
genetic material to the moon isn't as simple as packing a suitcase. The logistical hurdles are as immense as the concept itself. Samples would need robust protection against space radiation and the rigours of space travel. Then there's the challenge of international collaboration and funding — a cosmic piggy bank of sorts to support such an ambitious project.
Hagedorn and her team are already taking the first steps. Their work with the starry goby (
Asterropteryx semipunctata), a carnivorous blue-speckled fish, aims to refine cryopreservation techniques for the lunar environment. This tiny fish might just be the pioneer in a journey that saves countless species from oblivion.
As we grapple with an
extinction crisis on Earth, the moon, with its ancient, ice-cold craters, offers a unique lifeline — a place where the essence of endangered species can be kept in suspended animation, awaiting a future where they might roam the Earth once more.
The findings of this research have been published in
BioScience and can be accessed
here.
