Much of the Biosphere Remains Uncharted and Vulnerable to Information Loss
Much of Earth's biosphere—from the deep ocean to atmospheric bioaerosols—remains unexplored, with the microbial majority largely uncharted. Advancing new exploration technologies and systematically cataloging the Earth's microbiome could unlock discoveries of new life forms and biological insights that could impact health, climate, geoengineering, agriculture, and fundamental biology.
Foundational Capabilities (4)
Innovate and deploy more efficient and robust systems for deep ocean exploration, enabling comprehensive study of deep-sea environments and their unique biology.
Develop comprehensive genomic mapping initiatives for global microbiomes to catalog species essential to Earth's biosphere and inform conservation efforts.
Implement dense, systematic DNA sampling in diverse ocean environments—especially areas with sharp gradients in temperature, depth, salinity, and pH (such as reefs, deep trenches, and hydrothermal vents)—to uncover new species and biological insights.