There is much interest in the phenomenon of rate-induced tipping, where a system changes abruptly when forcings change faster than some critical rate. Here, we demonstrate and analyse rate-induced tipping […]
biodiversity
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
The Eukaryome Of Modern Microbialites Reveals Distinct Colonization Across Aquatic Ecosystems
Protists are less studied for their role and diversity in ecosystems. Notably, protists have played and still play an important role in microbialites. Microbialites, or lithified microbial mats, represent the […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Astrovirology And Terrestrial Life Survival
Microbial organisms have been implicated in several mass extinction events throughout Earth’s planetary history. Concurrently, it can be reasoned from recent viral pandemics that viruses likely exacerbated the decline of […]
Posted inCryobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Life Support Systems, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Societal Issues, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Safeguarding Earth’s Biodiversity By Creating A Lunar Biorepository
Earth’s biodiversity is increasingly threatened and at risk. We propose a passive lunar biorepository for long-term storage of prioritized taxa of live cryopreserved samples to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity and to […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Life In The Atlantic Ocean Thrives Due To Windblown Saharan Dust
Iron is a micronutrient indispensable for life, enabling processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, and DNA synthesis. Iron availability is often a limiting resource in today’s oceans, which means that increasing […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Microorganisms Can Travel Vast Distances In Earth’s Troposphere
Analysis of air samples taken at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres above Japan has revealed the presence of a vast range of viable bacteria and fungi transported by air […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Tardigrades
Ice World Update: How Earth’s Record Breaking Intense Heat Wave Impacted Life In Antarctica
Summer 2024 is on track to be the hottest on record for hundreds of cities across the U.S. and globe. Even in Antarctica, during the peak of its winter, extreme […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Exploration: A New Seamount And Previously Unknown Species Discovered
A team of oceanographers led by Schmidt Ocean Institute have discovered and mapped a new seamount on the Nazca Ridge in international waters, 900 miles off the coast of Chile. […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Cryobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Panspermia, Press Release
Securing Earth’s Biodiversity – On The Moon
New research led by scientists at the Smithsonian proposes a plan to safeguard Earth’s imperiled biodiversity by cryogenically preserving biological material on the moon. The moon’s permanently shadowed craters are […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Impact events, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release
Mass Extinction 66 million Years Ago Triggered Rapid Evolution Of Bird Genomes
Shortly after an asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago, life for non-avian dinosaurs ended, but the evolutionary story for the early ancestors of birds began.