In Arctic and Antarctic ecology, a hypolith is a photosynthetic organism that livesunderneath rocks in climatically extreme deserts such as Cornwallis Island and Devon Island in the Canadian high Arctic. The community itself is the hypolithon. Hypolithons are protected from harsh ultraviolet radiation and wind scouring by their rock, which can also trap moisture. The rocks are generally translucent to allow for the penetration of light. Writing in Nature, ecologist Charles S. Cockell of the Brit… (More on Hypolith)