Mysteries of the ocean and the return of extinct species: experts discuss Earth's future at the National Centre RUSSIA

Experts and scientists from Russia, Chile, China and Mauritius met on 12 November at the National Centre RUSSIA to discuss why ocean research is essential to a sustainable future for Earth and whether bringing back extinct species could help restore nature. The discussions were part of the youth programme of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future".

The public talk "Big Questions: Why Explore the Depths of the Ocean?" focused on one of Earth's least explored environments and a major frontier for future discoveries. Alexander Semenov, a marine biologist, Director of the Aniva Biological Station and Head of the Scientific Diving Service at Moscow State University's White Sea Biological Station, noted that studying the ocean is essential because its health can play a critical role in human life. The ocean affects the planet's climate and atmospheric conditions, and food from the seas and oceans feeds nearly half the world's population.

"The ocean is like outer space on our doorstep. Studying it could give us new materials, new foods, antibiotics, anticancer drugs and much more. For example, our new biological station on Sakhalin identified some extremely toxic marine worms. They accumulate tetrodotoxin, the poison pufferfish are known for. Scientists are already very close to developing new generations of painkillers based on it that could replace opiates," said Alexander Semenov.

Advances in technology and artificial intelligence are opening up new possibilities for ocean researchers, said Eulogio Soto (Chile), Director of the Centre for Coastal Ocean Observation and Analysis (COSTAR), a marine biologist and a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Valparaiso. Increasingly sophisticated algorithms are already being developed to process and organise data on how the underwater world is structured. Equally important, the Chilean scientist stressed, are advances in miniaturisation, including smaller sensors that can operate at extreme temperatures and under extremely high pressure, as well as technologies for transmitting data over long distances.  

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The public talk was hosted by Ivan Zatevakhin, a television and radio presenter, creator and host of the popular science programme "Dialogues About Animals", member of the expert council for the "Crystal Compass" National Award and Candidate of Biological Sciences. He also moderated the visionary session "Reviving Extinct Species: The Future of Nature in the Age of De-Extinction". The session covered genome editing and synthetic biology, fields that make it possible to study extinct species and look for ways to protect threatened ecosystems.

Albert Protopopov, Scientific Director of the World Mammoth Centre project, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Head of the Mammoth Fauna Research Department at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), outlined preparations for an ambitious project to bring back the woolly mammoth. Researchers have begun isolating genes specific to the mammoth, helped by how well the biological remains were preserved in Yakutia's permafrost. So far, only 60 genes have been isolated. That figure needs to reach 2,000–2,500 for the revived organism to be a mammoth in the full sense of the word.

"The mammoth is needed by both science and nature. In many ways, northern ecosystems are still empty. They became much poorer after mammoths and other animals of that era died out, and bringing those animals back could make Arctic ecosystems more productive. Some also believe that the return of mammoths could have a beneficial effect on climate processes," explained Albert Protopopov.

Vikash Tatayah, Director General of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), head of the Mauritian component of the dodo reintroduction project and Doctor of Biological Sciences, shared plans for the joint project. He recalled that the dodo was not the first animal species humans drove to extinction, but its fate was what first prompted people to think about their harmful impact on the environment.  

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

There is now an understanding that bringing back the dodo could benefit the environment. In the 300 years since its extinction, the ecosystem of Mauritius and the surrounding islands has not "forgotten" the dodo, so the birds could find a place there. The project faces serious technical and ethical obstacles, however. At a recent congress on the subject, the scientific community imposed a moratorium on practical work in this area.

Ni Minjing, Director General of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, believes that studying extinct animals and potentially returning them to the wild are two distinct matters. The benefits of research are clear, while putting de-extinction into practice involves risks that cannot yet be fully assessed.

"It may be better to devote our time and effort to protecting animals that are still here. Fifty years ago, for example, there were only about a thousand pandas left in China, and the species was on the brink of extinction. China created a large national park and invested resources, and we now have 2,500 pandas. When we consider bringing back a lost species, we also need to think about how to recreate its ecosystem. That is the only way decisions like these can bring real benefits to humanity," emphasised Ni Minjing.

At the end of the session, the experts discussed a shortlist of promising de-extinction projects. Alongside mammoths and dodos, it could include Steller's sea cow, a marine mammal, as well as some beaver species and extinct pigeon species.

The III International Symposium "Inventing the Future" was held on 12–13 November at the National Centre RUSSIA and brought together more than 8,000 participants from 109 countries, including Germany, Greece, India, Egypt, China, Colombia, the United States, Ethiopia, Ecuador, South Africa, South Korea and many others. The event was organised at the direction of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, under the auspices of the Decade of Science and Technology, with the support of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.