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The availability of bioessential elements for "life as we know it", such asphosphorus (P) or possibly molybdenum (Mo), is expected to restrict thebiological productivity of extraterrestrial biospheres. Here, we considerworlds with subsurface oceans and model the dissolved concentrations ofbioessential elements. In particular, we focus on the sources and sinks of P(available as phosphates), and find that the average steady-state oceanicconcentration of P is likely to be lower than the corresponding value on Earthby a few orders of magnitude, provided that the oceans are alkaline and possesshydrothermal activity. While our result does not eliminate the prospects oflife on subsurface worlds like Enceladus, it suggests that the putativebiospheres might be oligotrophic, and perhaps harder to detect. Along theselines, potential biospheres in the clouds of Venus may end up being limited bythe availability of Mo. We also point out the possibility that stellarspectroscopy can be used to deduce potential constraints on the availability ofbioessential elements on planets and moons.

Is Extraterrestrial Life Suppressed on Subsurface Ocean Worlds due to the Paucity of Bioessential Elements?