Why Scientists Are Eyeing the Moon as Earth’s Ultimate ‘Doomsday’ Vault for Biodiversity

Photo by3000ad / Alamy Stock Photo

In a world increasingly grappling with the impacts of climate change, the need for innovative solutions to protect our planet's biodiversity has never been more urgent. The risks posed by a rapidly warming climate and environmental degradation have spurred scientists to think outside the box. This urgency underscores the importance of the moon—a seemingly unlikely yet fascinating candidate for the next generation of biological preservation.

The Vulnerability of Earth-Based Vaults

Photo bySvalbard Global Seed Vault

The idea might sound like something from a science fiction novel, but it's grounded in a genuine concern. The fall of 2016 saw the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a state-of-the-art facility built into a remote Norwegian mountainside, face a severe threat. The permafrost encasing the vault began to thaw, leading to a flood that breached the entrance tunnel. This incident highlighted a stark reality: even the most advanced and secure vaults designed to safeguard our food supply are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This vulnerability underscores the need for a more secure solution.

Established in 2008, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was conceived as a fail-safe repository for more than 1.3 million seed samples worldwide. Its location on an archipelago above the Arctic Circle was chosen for its natural refrigeration and isolation. However, recent research indicates that this region is warming six times faster than the global average, raising concerns about the facility's long-term viability.

Mountains nearly devoid of snow stand behind a road and a polar bear warning sign during a summer heat wave on Svalbard archipelago in 2020.Photo bySean Gallup/Getty Images

The Lunar Solution

In response to these mounting risks, a team of U.S. scientists has proposed a groundbreaking solution: a "doomsday" vault on the moon. Published in the journal BioScience, their study outlines a vision for a lunar biorepository that could store plant seeds and samples of animals and microbes. The concept is as ambitious as it is imaginative, aiming to create a backup plan for preserving Earth's biodiversity beyond our planet.

The idea of storing biological samples on the moon might seem far-fetched, but the moon offers several compelling advantages. For one, it is remarkably remote. Unlike Earth, where natural disasters, climate change, and human activity pose significant risks to preservation efforts, the moon remains untouched by these threats. Its extreme isolation could provide a level of security that is difficult to achieve on our home planet.

The Benefits of Lunar Storage

Lynne Parenti, a study's co-author and researcher at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, emphasizes the importance of rethinking our strategies for preserving biodiversity. "In natural history museums, we think about what kind of material we're going to keep, where are we going to keep it, and how are we going to store it?" Parenti says. As the number of species facing extinction from climate change and habitat loss continues to grow, she argues that our current genebanks and vaults are no longer sufficient.

The proposed lunar biorepository would offer several advantages over terrestrial storage solutions. It would be automated and require no human maintenance, addressing potential failures or mishandling concerns. Additionally, cryopreserved cells stored on the moon would be maintained at extremely low temperatures, effectively suspending biological activity and preserving samples for potentially hundreds of years.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite the allure of a lunar vault, the project has challenges. Building and maintaining such a facility would require significant technological advancements and investments. The logistics of transporting samples to the moon, establishing a functional repository, and ensuring the long-term stability of the storage environment are complex and costly.

Nevertheless, the potential benefits are substantial. A lunar biorepository could serve as a fail-safe for preserving Earth's biodiversity, offering a beacon of hope in the face of escalating environmental threats. As scientists explore innovative solutions to safeguard our planet's future, the moon could emerge as a vital component in our efforts to protect the delicate web of life that sustains us.

Looking Ahead

The concept of a lunar doomsday vault represents a bold step towards securing our planet's biological heritage. While it remains a visionary idea, it underscores the urgent need for creative and resilient strategies to address the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. As we look to the stars for solutions, we may find that the moon holds the key to ensuring a more secure and sustainable future for all living things on Earth.