The Moon has suitable temperatures for the preservation of species samples. On the Moon, there is also no need to worry about weather or earthquakes.
An international research team is proposing to establish a biodiversity conservation facility for Earth on the Moon.
The temperatures on the Moon are ideal for storing species samples – (Illustrative image: scitechdaily.com).
The proposal is led by Dr. Mary Hagedorn, who works at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the National Zoo (USA).
According to IFLScience on July 31, the team’s idea is to build a long-term storage vault for high-risk endangered animal species on Earth. The samples would be preserved in a frozen state.
The temperatures on the Moon are a beneficial factor for the long-term stability of such a storage vault. Samples can be preserved without human intervention or a power source—two of many essential factors needed for sample preservation on Earth.
The Moon has such a thin atmosphere that it can essentially be considered a vacuum, eliminating concerns about weather conditions. Earthquakes on the Moon are also unlike those on Earth.
The frigid environment on the Moon means that samples would remain frozen year-round without a power source or an operator.
While the aforementioned idea has potential, it is not as simple as just sending a capsule to the Moon. The research team is considering various challenges that might arise when constructing such a facility, such as transportation issues, how to protect samples from radiation, and how to manage this storage facility.
The team is developing a test version of a skin sample storage for the starry pufferfish (Asterropteryx), which contains fibroblast cells capable of cloning, located within their skin.
The team also hopes to build relationships with space agencies to conduct storage experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) to simulate some future challenges for lunar storage.
The research has been published in the journal BioScience.
Seed vaults on Earth are not 100% safe Life on Earth is fragile, and countless species have gone extinct throughout billions of years of history. Biodiversity conservation on Earth is an important but complex task. There are several sample storage facilities for species on Earth. These facilities are built in geologically stable locations, yet they are not without risks. For example, the global seed vault in Svalbard has undergone renovations after permafrost unexpectedly melted, causing water to leak into the vault. |
