An Epic Voyage in the Making Bridging the Biodiversity

editorial An epic voyage in the making The plan to drill through the entire oceanic crust is ambitious and exciting, and well worth the expense. The exploration of even the outermost possible, and inspired subsequent missions to fill in the gaps in our understanding of fringes of our Solar System has long crossed that have managed to drill deeper. The data processes ranging from mantle melting to over from the realm of fantasy to that of and insights gained from such projects hydrothermal alteration. reality. But the human quest to explore our have radically altered our understanding Mission Moho is still in its infancy, and planet’s interior — magically expressed in of the evolution of the oceanic crust and its success will depend on technological Jules Verne’s epic A Journey to the Centre uppermost mantle. feasibility as well as budgetary of the Earth — lags far behind. Unlike the However, so far no deep-sea drill has considerations. The former may not be an leap into space, gravity defying as it may managed to reach beyond 1.5 km beneath obstacle for too long. Recently developed be, a voyage into the planet’s bowels faces the sea floor, which is only about one technology is likely to allow drilling through the sheer resistance of drilling through fourth of the typical distance from the sea floor that lies at depths of over 4 km kilometre after kilometre of dense rock. sea floor to the Moho. As a result, much beneath the sea surface: this will enable Human innovation, though, is only of our knowledge about the deeper parts the relatively thin oceanic crust along a fuelled by such challenges. Indeed, of the oceanic crust and the uppermost mid-ocean ridge to be targeted. In contrast, penetrating the oceanic crust and mantle comes from observations of slices of current technologies can negotiate a water traversing the crust–mantle boundary (the oceanic plates that have been shoved on to depth of only about 2.5 km. Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho) is the continents by plate tectonic processes. Drilling into the mantle is not expected to principal objective of the ambitious Mission But geological exposure is incomplete as be cheap by any means. But in all likelihood, Moho initiative, discussed at the September a rule, and remnants of the mantle that have Mission Moho will only cost a fraction of workshop of the Integrated Ocean Drilling ended up on the continents are not pristine. what is currently spent on space exploration: Programme (IODP) in Bremen, Germany. More importantly, the diverse processes that compare, for example, the current IODP The first attempt at accomplishing this went into the construction and modification annual budget of about $200 million (Nature daunting task — made in the 1960s — was of oceanic crust and uppermost mantle 461, 578–579; 2009) with that of NASA unsuccessful, and the hole reached a depth cannot be directly observed in such (over $15 billion for 2009). Peeking into the beneath the sea floor of less than 200 m. But outcrops, but can only be inferred. Drilling Earth’s interior is closer to home. The voyage it showed that drilling in the deep ocean was through the oceanic lithosphere is expected is well worth undertaking. ❐ Bridging the biodiversity gap As climate change continues to erode biodiversity, the two disciplines need to improve their dialogue. The habitat range of more and more as James Lovelock pointed out after his activists will envisage the same solution species is contracting as a result of global talk at the Science Museum in London the just because they all fall under the broad warming. Rising temperatures are forcing following week, the governance of these umbrella of environmentalists. birds, butterflies, grasses and trees to higher two disciplines by separate United Nations Of course, the discussion on biodiversity latitudes and elevations where conditions treaties, the Framework Convention on decline cannot be reduced to the impacts are more agreeable. However, space and Climate Change and the Convention on of climate change alone. Other factors resources are not necessarily adequate Biological Diversity, is an example of that influence ecosystem diversity, such as for species on the move; human-induced how divided these essentially inseparable pollution and land-use change, are far too degradation of ecosystems has destroyed disciplines are. important. As Georgina Mace of Imperial many migration avenues, and mountains Both the climate and biodiversity College London pointed out, conserving only stretch so far. Furthermore, a shift in communities work hard for the goal of biodiversity is a far more complex issue the timing of key events such as flowering, making the planet a better place. But than regulating climate change. Greenhouse breeding and migration is decoupling the the fastest pathway to a stable climate gases are a truly global problem, calling for life cycles of a huge number of interacting is not necessarily good for biodiversity global emissions reductions. Biodiversity species. In short, the outlook for biodiversity preservation. A bare patch of land might look losses on the other hand occur essentially is bleak. like the ideal location to plant a fast growing at the local level, and an in-depth In response to these challenges, a forest to mop up carbon dioxide from the understanding of individual locations is scientific and practical road map for atmosphere, but it could also represent needed to devise solutions. preserving biodiversity in the face of one of the few remaining residences for a Nevertheless, we should at least aim at global change was drawn up at a meeting species on the move. Multiple uses of any maintaining an agreeable climate and an on biodiversity and climate change at the given patch of land need to be taken into acceptable level of biodiversity at the same Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London consideration before deciding how best to time. These goals are not in disagreement this September. Representatives from the use that land. And for that, a dialogue is per se. A little extra thought could go a long meeting stressed the urgent need to integrate needed between all the stakeholders. There way in aligning the interests of ecologists the ecological and climate sciences. Indeed, is no guarantee that ecologists and climate and climatologists. ❐ NATURE GEOSCIENCE | VOL 2 | NOVEMBER 2009 | www.nature.com/naturegeoscience 733 © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Load more