Toward an IEPA

Explanation: We live in a world of tiny things. But as we send robot craft to explore strange new worlds, and eventually send humans to Mars, asteroids, and beyond, we may need to first take stock of what else we may be sending ... and what impacts that may have on the environments we cherish to explore.

The question is already a pressing one right here at home. Let's take just one example taxon: algae.

Invasive species of algae have already compromised ecosystems of Hawaii, Florida, and many other locations. A species aptly called "killer algae" is now widespread in the tropics, introduced from the aquarium trade, and is outcompeting native species. A horrendously invasive algal called didymo or "rock snot" has compromised aquatic systems in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and many other places around the world. There are vast ecological and economic implications of even accidentally introducing organisms where they did not originate.

The main photo (above) in this week's episode shows how apparently native algae can bloom massively even in the harshest of environments: within arctic sea ice. (Also see this previous EPOW episode.) And imagine that this might also be one of the ice moons of the outer planets, such as Europa or Ganymede of Jupiter, or Enceladus of Saturn, after introduction of some Earth organism ... Now, whether Earthly life forms could survive and spread on these worlds is unknown -- and perhaps it is unlikely in such cases as frigid Ganymede -- we really don't know for sure.

This didymo-like algae has grown to choke out a stream in
Sycamore Canyon in Kaibab National Forest of northern Arizona.

Which brings us to this week's main topic.

As we extend our existence beyond this world, how important is it to protect the environments we explore? For years, NASA has justly instituted "clean rooms" and other measures for decontaminating its crafts. It is praiseworthy that NASA has instituted such mandatory compliance as its "Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions" and its "Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft." But these seem to be interim or temporary directives, currently with the former directive becoming effective in 2011 and expiring 2016, and the latter effective 1999 and expiring 2018.

A bit disconcerting, also, is that even with these stringent and laudable standards, we may not be entirely free from accidentally contaminating worlds beyond our own. In November 2013, a new bacterium was discovered (Tersicoccus phoenicis) apparently occupying two spacecraft clean rooms, in Florida and South America. Apparently this bacterium is found nowhere else, and is not the first finding of rare microbes in clean rooms. It is immensely difficult to wipe all microbes from such facilities.

Scientists are concerned that Earth bacteria could indeed contaminate Mars.

Further, NASA is already considering the options for terraforming Mars -- converting its environment into one that could support life from Earth.

And many forms of plant life, including algae, may be needed during interplanetary trips and planetary colonies for food, generation of oxygen, and life support. We will be carrying many species of microbes, bacteria, plants, fungi, algae, and other life forms with us as we eventually explore and colonize beyond Earth.

I will suggest here that perhaps we need what I will call a more permanent Interplanetary Environmental Protection Act (IEPA) which would cover not just "planets" but all celestial bodies, big and small ... before we start drilling asteroids, mining lunar craters, terraforming planets, and digging into the crusts and underlying oceans of ice moons.

I suggest that an IEPA would not summarily prohibit humans from visiting, colonizing, even mining other celestial bodies, but would mandate that great care be taken on first determining the degree and extent of disruption that intentional or unintentional introduction of life forms from Earth, and that human exploration and resource exploitation, would generate. Humanity needs to explore, yes, but with care.

Micro-algae found on down wood in the Cascade Mountains of
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, southern Washington state, U.S.
(Photos taken at 10x, 60x, and 200x magnifications.)
Such algal spores are immensely numerous, and diverse in most ecosystems
on Earth. Will they follow us to the other planets?

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week