Mission Objectives

Beneath the surface of Pavilion Lake are fascinating carbonate rock structures with diverse sizes and morphology. The structures, called microbialites, are similar to stromatolites, and are rare on today's earth. These structures are believed to be formed, in whole or in part, by microorganisms. The microorganisms that live on the structures are single celled bacteria and algae, and are common inhabitants of aquatic environments. These types microbialites were very common for about two billion years of earth's early history. The microbialites in Pavilion Lake provide an analog for the biogeochemical processes active on early Earth and potentially on other planets such as Mars. The Pavilion Lake Research Project was founded to characterize the morphogenesis (formation) and preservation potential of the microbialites in Pavilion Lake.

PLRP research is conducted from the lake’s surface, as well as underwater. To explore underwater, the team uses a variety of tools: SCUBA, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and submersibles. We carefully select our exploration mechanism to best suit our specific science goals. For example, to map the lake, we are using single person, Deepworker subs that enable humans to gain first hand knowledge of the entire lake, while gathering visual and sonar data. The way we choose to explore at Pavilion Lake also has relevance to the space exploration community. Our underwater operations with humans and robots provide a learning opportunity for understanding how to operate in the hostile and challenging environments of the Moon and Mars.

The activities at the site are considered analog research and of great interest to the CSA and NASA for two main reasons:

1. The microbialite structures provide a modern analog to ancient fossilized microbialites preserved on Earth. Studying how these modern structures form and are preserved in the rock record will provide us with tools to identify signatures of ancient life on our own and other planets.

2. Our research and exploration using remotely operated vehicle (ROV's), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV's), scuba divers and submersibles provide an analog to human exploration missions on the Moon and Mars. The research and exploration methods developed at Pavilion Lake will contribute to future human mission planning and exploration science on the Moon and Mars.

The Pavilion Lake Research Project brings together a large and diverse group of students, expert scientists, engineers, and astronauts to explore and study Pavilion Lake's unique microbialite structures. Working with the Pavilion Lake community, we strive to protect and preserve the unique environment that we study while advancing science and human exploration.