Life in an extreme environment

Hello all,

Today (19th of January), I climbed up the Mt. Vikinghegda (2751m). It was so windy, cold and dry. It looked just like a desert. But I was very surprised by the resilience of living organisms!! I could find many algae and lichens under the surface of rocks 

                                           Picture of cryptoendolithic communities

 And at last, mosses were waiting for me !!  They were growing in the gaps between pebbles, at over 2100 m altitude. I believe that it should be the most severe and ultimate environment for mosses.

 This discovery made me very happy. This is a wonderful conclusion to my BELDIVA expedition to the Princess Elisabeth Station! Indeed, I will leave on the morning of the 21th December.

I would like to thank the Station personnel, the field guides and all the ones that made this expedition possible!

Best regards, Satoshi