Ocean: The Key to Sustainability in Space and on Earth
In an interview with Público newspaper, MARE researcher Marco Lemos explained how the oceans could play a vital role, not only in the development of human colonies on other planets, but also in providing resources for space travel.
According to Marco Lemos, marine organisms such as algae, invertebrates and some microorganisms have great potential for ensuring the viability of space missions. The researcher, who recently published an article in the scientific journal Marine Drugs, argues that the study of the seabed is just as important as space exploration, given that, paradoxically, we know more about the Moon than we do about the oceans.
As interest in space revives, especially with initiatives such as Donald Trump's promise to take astronauts to Mars, there is a new opportunity to integrate the resources of the sea into space missions. The researcher believes that these resources could be essential for sustaining human life on distant planets, providing food, oxygen and other essential elements for creating artificial atmospheres. He also pointed out that organisms such as algae, adapted to extreme conditions for millions of years, would be ideal for surviving in hostile environments such as those on Mars and the Moon.
"Marine resources have significant potential to effectively address the objectives of extended space missions and the establishment of a sustainable space settlement. The uses of marine resources in space biotechnology are many and promising," he explains.
These resources could be used in a variety of ways, such as to produce oxygen, recycle liquids, generate food and even fuel. For Marco Lemos, the potential of marine resources goes beyond space and could be the key to long-term space missions and the creation of sustainable solutions for the Earth. “There is significant potential in the partnership between marine sciences and space agencies,” and technological advances and international collaboration can “establish a viable future” beyond planet Earth, he says.
The researcher also points out that biomaterials from the sea, such as collagen and chitosan, are promising for medical treatments, such as tissue regeneration or the fight against diseases such as cancer and heart problems.
In conclusion, Lemos emphasizes that the use of marine resources for space biotechnology is far from being a distant idea. For the researcher, the potential of the oceans is not just a future possibility, but a present reality that can already be exploited for various purposes, including the production of healthy food, biofuels and innovative solutions to environmental and medical problems. “This is present.”
(Photo by André Kosters/LUSA)