Mars Cave Life with Dr. Matthew Niemiller

Let’s say there’s life on Mars today. It’s not strolling across the surface or waving from a crater rim—it’s tucked far beneath the ground, in caves and crevices, protected from radiation, freezing temperatures, and the general chaos of the Martian surface. So what’s actually down there? This week on our monthly Everyday Mars special episode of Aspiring Martians, I speak with Dr. Matthew Niemiller, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, who specializes in the study of subterranean life on Earth—everything from blind fish to cave-dwelling insects and other organisms that thrive in total darkness.

Together, we dive into what kinds of ecosystems could exist beneath the Martian crust, how life survives in extreme environments on Earth, and what the largest possible living thing on Mars might actually be. We also explore energy-starved food chains, poop-based ecosystems, the strange behavior of animals in complete darkness, and why our best shot at finding alien life might involve crawling through caves with a headlamp and a whole lot of hope.

A huge thank you to Dr. Matthew Niemiller for joining me today, to Nick Thorburn for our amazing theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the stunning graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for always encouraging this never-ending fascination with Mars.