'Promising' desert moss found with extraordinary survival potential that could pioneer Mars colonization

As efforts to combat climate change continue, scientists are also exploring other habitable planets. NASA is experimenting with sources of oxygen, food, water, and power for Mars colonization. New evidence suggests a species of desert moss might help bring life to Mars. This plant is termed "a promising pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments," according to a study published in The Innovation journal.

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered the potential of Syntrichia caninervis, a desert moss found in both California's Mojave Desert and Antarctica's freezing environments.

This ability of the plant to withstand such contrasting and extreme temperatures made it an appropriate candidate to kick start Mars colonization. From intense droughts and high levels of radiation to severe cold weather, this moss can tolerate it all. The scientists primarily focused on testing the plant's survival directly on the Martian surface instead of greenhouses.

The researchers tested plants under several conditions including dehydration and rehydration treatments, -80 to -196 degrees Celsius temperatures, gamma irradiation, and simulation of atmospheric conditions similar to that of Mars. As a result, the desert moss survived through it all for a substantially longer period. The study says that the plant's "drying without dying" capability was quite extraordinary. "The plants can lose more than 98% of their water and recover very rapidly after rehydration, in only seconds," the study reports. The exposure to Mars's conditions which involve extremely low temperatures, low oxygen (95% CO2), desiccation and UV radiation didn't impact the moss's sustenance even a little. 

Ruling out the desert moss to be the most promising candidate for Mars colonization, the study delved into the reason for this plant's sturdiness. "Mosses are believed to have been the first embryophyte to colonize the land on Earth. These diminutive pioneer plants have evolved innate resistance to drought, UV radiation, and temperature fluctuations that have enabled them to adapt remarkably well to harsh aquatic-terrestrial transition zones," the study says. Eons of morphological, physiological, and molecular adaptations, made Syntrichia caninervis a tolerant species. Not only will this moss cope with possible environmental changes, but will also aid in the "creation of new habitable environments conducive to long-term human settlement."

This study has triggered the interest of several experts who offered their insights into the possibility of Mars colonization through this plant. "Desert moss is not edible, but it could provide other important services in space," Professor Stuart McDaniel, a moss expert at the University of Florida told the Guardian. Dr Agata Zupanska of the SETI Institute agreed with the probability of enriching the Red Planet's surface with this desert moss though it cannot be consumed as food. "We have a long way to go. But this lowly desert moss offers hope for making small portions of Mars habitable for humankind in the future," added Professor Edward Guinan of Villanova University.