New Curtin-led research has found evidence that fresh water on Earth, which is essential for life, appeared about four billion years ago – five hundred million years earlier than previously […]
ecosystem
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Earth’s Earliest Sea Creatures Drove Evolution By Stirring The Water
A study involving the University of Cambridge has used virtual recreations of the earliest animal ecosystems, known as marine animal forests, to demonstrate the part they played in the evolution […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Purple Is The New Green: Biopigments And Spectra Of Earth-like Purple Worlds
With more than 5,500 detected exoplanets, the search for life is entering a new era. Using life on Earth as our guide, we look beyond green landscapes to expand our […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
Biosignatures From Pre-oxygen Photosynthesising Life On TRAPPIST-1e
In order to assess observational evidence for potential atmospheric biosignatures on exoplanets, it will be essential to test whether spectral fingerprints from multiple gases can be explained by abiotic or […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Even Inactive Hydrothermal Smokers Are Densely Colonized By Microbial Communities
With its high pressure, darkness and nutrient deficiency, the deep sea is generally not a hospitable place. But in the presence of heat and a rich influx of energy-rich fluids, […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Societal Issues, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Exploring The Undiscovered Potential Of Deep Sea Microbial Ecosystems And Establishing Sustainable Thresholds For Their Preservation
We’re publishing this article today in advance of a COP28 talk entitled “Ocean biodiscovery, capacity development and equitable access to ocean biodiversity data” that Emma Bolton, Ocean Research Lead at […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Controls of Atmospheric Methane on Early Earth and Inhabited Earth-like Terrestrial Exoplanets
Methane (CH4) is a primarily biogenic greenhouse gas. As such, it represents an essential biosignature to search for life on exoplanets.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A New Ecosystem Has Been Discovered Underneath Oceanic Hydrothermal Vents
A new ecosystem has been discovered in volcanic cavities beneath hydrothermal vents at a well-studied undersea volcano on the East Pacific Rise off Central America.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Immense Diversity And Interdependence In High Temperature Deep-Sea Microorganism Communities
A new study by researchers at Portland State University and the University of Wisconsin finds that a rich diversity of microorganisms live in interdependent communities in high-temperature geothermal environments in […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Away Team Results: Discovery Of A New Ecosystem In The Maldives
The Nekton Maldives Mission, involving researchers from the University of Oxford, has found evidence of a previously undescribed ecosystem – ‘The Trapping Zone’ – that is creating an oasis of […]