‘Lunar zoo’: Scientists plan to save endangered species by taking them to the Moon

A team of scientists has proposed an ambitious idea to protect Earth’s biodiversity by establishing a cryogenic biorepository on the Moon. The idea seeks to protect species in the case of a terrible disaster on Earth by utilizing the Moon’s continuously shadowed craters, which are naturally cold enough for cryogenic storage without the use of energy or liquid nitrogen.

According to study conducted by Smithsonian Institution scientists and published this week in the journal BioScience, the Moon’s chilly, dark craters are ideal for retaining biological material. The study expands on successful cryopreservation procedures demonstrated with fish skin samples, describing a strategy for establishing a biorepository to protect samples from multiple species.

“Initially, a lunar biorepository would target the most at-risk species on Earth today, but our ultimate goal would be to cryopreserve most species on Earth,” said Mary Hagedorn, a research cryobiologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and the paper’s lead author.

“We hope that by sharing our vision, our group can find additional partners to expand the conversation, discuss threats and opportunities, and conduct the necessary research and testing to make this biorepository a reality.”

The Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic area, inspired the notion for the lunar biorepository. This vault contains over a million seed variants to preserve crop diversity. However, in 2017, it faced a threat from meltwater flooding caused by thawing permafrost, highlighting the risks posed by global warming.

Unlike plant cells, which can be kept in Arctic conditions, animal cells require far lower temperatures—at least –320 degrees Fahrenheit (-196 degrees Celsius). Maintaining such temperatures on Earth requires a consistent supply of liquid nitrogen, power, and human resources, all of which could be jeopardized in the event of a worldwide tragedy.

To reduce this risk, Hagedorn and her team investigated passive cryopreservation techniques that are not viable on Earth. The Moon’s polar regions may provide a solution, with craters that remain in permanent shade and reach temperatures as low as -410 degrees Fahrenheit (-246 degrees Celsius).

The researchers also tackled the difficulty of shielding samples from radiation, which could harm DNA. They suggested keeping samples underground or in constructions made of moon rocks. Additional research is needed to understand the effects of radiation exposure and microgravity on cryopreserved samples.

“We aren’t saying what happens if the Earth fails – if the Earth is biologically destroyed, this biorepository won’t matter,” Hagedorn said in a statement. “This is intended to assist mitigate natural disasters and, potentially, enhance space travel. Life is valuable and, as far as we know, extremely rare in the universe. This biorepository offers an additional, parallel strategy to maintaining Earth’s valuable biodiversity.”

Rob Brooker, head of ecological sciences at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, who was not involved in the study, said of the paper, “It is an interesting and provocative article that highlights the loss of Earth’s biodiversity and the critical need to increase our efforts for nature conservation.”

“However, a major concern is that the cost and effort involved in establishing such a resource on the Moon would be very substantial and would detract from ongoing conservation efforts, including delivering existing international commitments and plans to protect nature,” Brooker told CNN at the time.

However, many experts believe that sending rockets to the moon for conservation purposes is an expensive thought experiment to implement. They claimed that saving forests, coral reefs, and other natural areas is simple and inexpensive.