ESA’s groundbreaking Biomass satellite, designed to provide unprecedented insights into the world’s forests and their crucial role in Earth’s carbon cycle, has been launched. The satellite lifted off aboard a […]
biodiversity
![[L to R] Sangay Tshering, Pema Namgay, Passang Balu, and Jut Wynne (center) processing a captured Great Himalayan Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros armiger), Rangtse Ney Cave, Gakiling Gewog.](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bhutans-cave-biology.jpg?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, Sample Return
Away Team Visits Bhutan’s Unexplored Caves
Famous for its breathtaking mountain landscapes and cliffside Buddhist monasteries, the small South Asian kingdom of Bhutan is also home to miles upon miles of caves that have been shrouded […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Sample Return, Space Life Science, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Raiding Nature’s Genetic Toolbox For UV-C Resistance By Functional Metagenomics
As we assess the habitability of other worlds, we are limited by being able to only study terrestrial life adapted to terrestrial conditions.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Planetary Protection Protocols On Earth: Non-native Terrestrial Species In Antarctica
Antarctica has been subject to direct human activity for a little over 200 years. In recent decades, the combination of sharp increases in human activity and regional climate change, particularly […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean Planet Biodiversity Genomics
The deep sea, covering approximately 65% of Earth’s surface, has long been considered a biological desert. In this extreme environment—particularly in the hadal zone at depths greater than 6,000 meters—organisms […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How Ancient Glaciers Helped Life Evolve On Earth
New Curtin University research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth’s surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Press Release
How Survivors Spanned The Globe After Earth’s Biggest Mass Extinction
Scientists don’t call it the “Great Dying” for nothing. About 252 million years ago, upward of 80% of all marine species vanished during the end-Permian mass extinction – the most […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ice Planet Expedition: Thriving Antarctic Ecosystems Found in Wake of Recently Detached Iceberg
An international team on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) working in the Bellingshausen Sea rapidly pivoted their research plans to study an area that was, until last month, […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Biodiversity: Climate Affects Microbial Life Around Antarctica
Coordinated measurements throughout one year This study was a first, integrating data on bacteria and microbial eukaryotes (small organisms summarized as ‘microorganisms’, including phytoplankton). Samples were taken at two Antarctic […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Life Thrives In The Deepest Ocean: New Discoveries From The Mariana Trench
The latest scientific research at the deepest part of the ocean has revealed something extraordinary – biodiversity is extensive and flourishing despite the extreme conditions.