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EV-11:
An ecologist’s guide to the galaxy
Endorsed
by the ESA International Affairs Section
Tuesday, August 9, 8 PM - 10 PM,
Meeting Rooms 515a-c, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Organizers:
Jacoby Carter, Deborah Norling, Sandy Tartkowski
Description: While the field of exobiology has gotten a lot
of attention in recent years its focus has been on the questions of “Does life
exists on other planets?” and “If it does, what is it like?” This evening
session will move beyond the idle speculation about the existence of life to the
more profoundly idle question, “Given that life exists on other planets, what
kinds of ecosystems are needed to sustain life?” We will look at a variety of
Earth’s extremophile ecosystems as possible models including deep sea, cave,
and deep earth. Also, we will consider Earth’s planetary evolution and make
interplanetary comparisons. After a brief review of extremophile ecosystems,
there will be an open discussion on the topic question. Issues we may discuss
include the kinds of energy sources needed for life and how metabolic waste
products can alter the course of evolution of communities.
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