Scientists propose lunar biorepository to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity

Scientists have put forth a bold proposal to establish a specialized facility on the Moon for safeguarding life in the event of a catastrophic disaster.

The concept of storing biological samples as a contingency plan is not new—Norway’s Svalbard Global Seed Vault, for example, houses over one million seed samples from around the globe.

However, what if even such measures prove inadequate in the face of a global crisis?

“If there had not been people there, flooding could have damaged the biorepository,” said the proposal’s lead author, Dr Mary Hagedorn of the Smithsonian’s national zoo and conservation biology institute.

War also poses a threat to biorepositories on Earth, she noted, citing the destruction of Ukraine’s seed bank in 2022.

To address this concern, scientists are now advocating for a lunar biorepository. This facility would store cells from some of Earth’s most critical animal species, offering a safeguard against climate change and unforeseen disasters, far removed from the planet’s vulnerabilities.

She continued, “So all in all, the idea of having a really secure, passive biorepository for safeguarding Earth’s biodiversity seems like a really good idea.”

A lunar vault, placed within permanently shadowed craters, would be immune to weather-related damage and could operate indefinitely.

The moon’s naturally frigid environment means samples would remain frozen year-round without the need for human involvement or an energy source.

By taking advantage of deep craters near the polar regions that are never exposed to sunlight, the moon is one of few places that can provide the ultra-low temperature of -196C necessary to preserve the samples in a way suitable for future cloning.

Despite the promise of this concept, its realization may be distant. Dr. Hagedorn remarked, “We know how to do this and can do this and will do this, but it may take decades to finally achieve.”