Hidden Ecosystems and Alien Worlds

Hello and welcome to another episode of Celestial Crumbs, where we discuss facts and theories that make life worth living. I’m your host, Nathalie Bonilla, and as always, Coraline the dog is here with us today to offer some emotional comfort and paw-sitivity to our days. 

Today, I want to talk about something we've all perhaps taken for granted: the sheer miracle of life on this planet. Not just life as we know it, but the life that exists in places we can't even imagine—hidden, untouched, and thriving in extreme environments.

Recently, I came across a discovery made in Antarctica. At the bottom of a previously undisturbed subglacial lake, scientists found an ancient boulder. On the surface of this boulder, an entire ecosystem—completely unknown to science—has been thriving for hundreds of years. Although not much has been officially released yet, we already know that the organisms found there have evolved to survive and thrive in such an extreme environment.

While we don’t know exactly what these subglacial lake ecosystems contain, we can draw parallels based on other extreme environments. For example, hydrothermal vents are home to organisms like tube worms, giant clams, and shrimp—creatures that can't live anywhere else but in these scalding hot, toxic environments. These vents can reach temperatures up to 450°F (about 232°C), and spew toxic chemicals from the Earth's core. These organisms are not just living in extreme heat and complete darkness, but one that is filled with toxic chemicals. Yet, they thrive.

This reminds me of another example: the Movile Cave in Romania. In 1986, the cave was opened to humans for the first time, and we discovered 57 animal species— including centipedes, spiders, leeches, scorpions, and even lice—that had evolved to live in total isolation, cut off from sunlight. These animals survive using chemosynthesis, a process that allows them to create energy from chemicals rather than light, much like those at hydrothermal vents. It begs the question: what might be possible on another planet?

If we look at moons that surround planets like Saturn, many have ice caps with liquid water underneath. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to theorize that some type of life—perhaps even chemosynthetic organisms—could evolve under those conditions, just like the spiders and other creatures found in Movile Cave or tube worms at hydrothermal vents.

We often imagine aliens as being something more advanced than us—taller, stronger, faster, and perhaps even scarier. But the reality is that the first aliens we discover will likely be smaller than us—probably microscopic. Life as we know it is incredibly diverse. There are different forms of energy production, different reproductive methods, and even different ways of breathing and excreting. The only limits to what is possible are the limits of our own imaginations. And that impacts where and how we look for life elsewhere.

Take, for example, the rediscovery of the Takahe, a large, flightless bird from New Zealand. It was thought to be extinct for about 50 years until it was rediscovered in 1948, living in a remote valley. Or the Coelacanth, often called a “living fossil.” This fish was believed to have been extinct for around 66 million years, only to be rediscovered in 1938 in the depths of the ocean.

There are even smaller, more elusive creatures that have reappeared after being thought extinct for decades. Take the woolly flying squirrel, which was thought to have been extinct for 70 years before being rediscovered. Or the pygmy tarsier, a small primate thought to be gone until one was accidentally caught in a mouse trap in 2000. If creatures like these can exist under our noses, why do we assume that we would be able to detect life on planets light-years away?

The lesson here is simple: life finds a way. There’s something profoundly beautiful in that resilience. Perhaps the next time we explore the depths of our oceans or open up a cave that hasn’t seen daylight for millennia, we can take a moment to breathe and reflect. Change doesn’t happen in isolation. No organism adapts alone; it is shaped by what surrounds it, what it consumes, and what it interacts with.

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So, as we wrap up today, I think the real takeaway from all of this is that life—whether on Earth or maybe one day on another planet—finds a way to survive, to adapt, to thrive, even in the harshest, most unwelcoming places. From the deepest ocean vents to hidden subglacial lakes, from dark, toxic caves to the forgotten corners of remote islands, life’s resilience reminds us of something very profound.

In our own lives, we face challenges and environments that may feel just as extreme, just as impossible to survive. But if these organisms, these tiny, unassuming creatures, can find ways to adapt and evolve in the face of unimaginable odds, then perhaps so can we. Change takes time, and like the ecosystems we've explored today, it doesn't happen in isolation. We adapt with the help of those around us, the environment we're in, and the energy we bring to the process.

So, whether you're diving into the unknown of your own life or just pondering the possibility of life beyond our planet, remember that there’s always a way forward. We are all connected, evolving, and growing in ways we might not even notice until we look back.

Thank you for joining me today, and until next time, keep your curiosity alive, and remember—life finds a way.