Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report

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Authors
Schneegurt, Mark A.
Advisors
Issue Date
2020-06-10
Type
Article
Keywords
Astrobiology , Biosignatures , Life detection , Life in extreme environments , Mars extant life
Research Projects
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Journal Issue
Citation
Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report. Conference leads: B.L. Carrier, D.W. Beaty, M.A. Meyer, Sub-Team leads: J.G. Blank, L. Chou, S. DasSarma, D.J. Des Marais, J.L. Eigenbrode, N. Grefenstette, N.L. Lanza, A.C. Schuerger, P. Schwendner, H.D. Smith, C.R. Stoker, J.D. Tarnas, K.D. Webster, Sub-Team contributors: C. Bakermans, B.K. Baxter, M.S. Bell, S.A. Benner, H.H. Bolivar Torres, P.J. Boston, R. Bruner, B.C. Clark, P. DasSarma, A.E. Engelhart, Z.E. Gallegos, Z.K. Garvin, P.J. Gasda, J.H. Green, R.L. Harris, M.E. Hoffman, T. Kieft, A.H.D. Koeppel, P.A. Lee, X. Li, K.L. Lynch, R. Mackelprang, P.R. Mahaffy, L.H. Matthies, M.A. Nellessen, H.E. Newsom, D.E. Northup, B.R.W. O'Connor, S.M. Perl, R.C. Quinn, L.A. Rowe, B. Sauterey, M.A. Schneegurt, D. Schulze-Makuch, L.A. Scuderi, M.N. Spilde, V. Stamenković, J.A. Torres Celis, D. Viola, B.D. Wade, C.J. Walker, R.C. Wiens, A.J. Williams, J.M. Williams, and J. Xu.Astrobiology.Jun 2020.785-814
Abstract

On November 5-8, 2019, the "Mars Extant Life: What's Next?" conference was convened in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The conference gathered a community of actively publishing experts in disciplines related to habitability and astrobiology. Primary conclusions are as follows: A significant subset of conference attendees concluded that there is a realistic possibility that Mars hosts indigenous microbial life. A powerful theme that permeated the conference is that the key to the search for martian extant life lies in identifying and exploring refugia ("oases"), where conditions are either permanently or episodically significantly more hospitable than average. Based on our existing knowledge of Mars, conference participants highlighted four potential martian refugium (not listed in priority order): Caves, Deep Subsurface, Ices, and Salts. The conference group did not attempt to reach a consensus prioritization of these candidate environments, but instead felt that a defensible prioritization would require a future competitive process. Within the context of these candidate environments, we identified a variety of geological search strategies that could narrow the search space. Additionally, we summarized a number of measurement techniques that could be used to detect evidence of extant life (if present). Again, it was not within the scope of the conference to prioritize these measurement techniques-that is best left for the competitive process. We specifically note that the number and sensitivity of detection methods that could be implemented if samples were returned to Earth greatly exceed the methodologies that could be used at Mars. Finally, important lessons to guide extant life search processes can be derived both from experiments carried out in terrestrial laboratories and analog field sites and from theoretical modeling.

Table of Contents
Description
© Authors. This content is available through an open access license. Conference leads: Carrier, Brandi L.; Beaty, David W.; Meyer, Michael A.; Blank, Jennifer G.; Chou, L.; DasSarma, Shiladitya; Des Marais, David J.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Grefenstette, N.; Lanza, Nina L.; Schuerger, Andrew C.; Schwendner, Petra; Schwendner, Petra; Smith, Heather D.; Stoker, Carol R.; Tarnas, Jesse D.; Webster, Kevin D.; Bakermans, Corien; Baxter, B. K.; Bell, Mary Sue; Benner, S. A.; Bolivar Torres, H. H.; Boston, Penelope Jane; Bruner, R.; Clark, B. C.; DasSarma, Priya; Engelhart, Aaron E.; Gallegos, Zachary E.; Garvin, Zachary K.; Gasda, Patrick J.; Green, J. H.; Harris, Rachel L.; Hoffman, M. E.; Kieft, Thomas L.; Koeppel, Ari H.D.; Lee, P. A.; Li, X.; Lynch, Kennda L.; MacKelprang, Rachel; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Matthies, Larry H.; Nellessen, M. A.; Newsom, Horton E.; Northup, Diana E.; O'Connor, B. R.W.; Perl, Scott M.; Quinn, Richard C.; Rowe, L. A.; Sauterey, B.; Schneegurt, Mark A.; Schulze-Makuch, Dirk; Scuderi, L. A.; Spilde, Michael N.; Stamenkovic, Vlada; Torres Celis, J. A.; Viola, Donna; Wade, B. D.; Walker, C. J.; Wiens, Rogers C.; Williams, Amy J.; Williams, Joshua M.; Xu, J.
Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
Journal
Book Title
Series
Astrobiology;v.20:no.6
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1557-8070
EISSN