A group of scientists from the Smithsonian Institutes and research universities believe it's high time that we create a doomsday vault for Earth's biodiversity. Sure, we have the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in a Norwegian mountain but it's susceptible to terrestrial destruction, by humans or natural disaster. That's why Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's Mary Hagedorn and her colleagues argue in a new scientific paper that we should be looking for a more remote location. They suggest the Moon. And this vault wouldn't just hold seeds but animal cells that could someday be used to restore lost species.
The journal Science interviewed Hagedorn about the plan:
Q: How would a lunar biorepository be used?
A: First and foremost, it could be used by astronauts going into space. Lots of plants will need to be grown when they start terraforming Mars. So having plant material there on the Moon would be a bonus. It's a bit like a grocery store for space travel.Q: Do you envision a lunar biorepository as a life insurance policy for some kind of planetary catastrophe?
A: If we have a massive apocalypse on Earth, it's going to be impossible to access the repository. In my mind, it's meant for catastrophes like severe hurricanes or some disease that impacts the base of our food chain. The thing that worries me a great deal is the southern oceans. Our oceans are under siege from being warmed and acidified. And if we start to lose the base of our food chain, we are in a lot of trouble. I could imagine some of those organisms needing to be supplemented within 50 to 75 years.Q: Doesn't it make more sense to spend money to fix the planet?
A: I have this question all the time with cryopreservation. Why should we cryopreserve something when we can just save coral reefs? I don't think it's either-or. We should think "in addition to," especially with something so important as biodiversity.
Previously:
• First ever plants grown in soil from the Moon
