Star Trek: 10 Species That Can Survive The Vacuum Of Space
7. Verugament
In a galaxy where the creatures of the cosmos are frequently threatening, terrifying, hostile or a combination of the three, it's nice to find a species as benign as the Verugament. Bioluminescent migratory extremophiles subsisting to microscopic food, the Verugament's only real threat is their ability to inflict a mild electric shock.
Passing Earth in 2381, the mass migration of these space slugs produces a scattering field which completely disables any beaming from the surface. This unfortunately coincides with Beckett Mariner's plans to board the Cerritos, leading Starfleet's most single minded Ensign to steal a replica of the Phoenix, the shuttlecraft Joshua Tree, and attempt to steal the Cerritos itself.
Aboard the ship, Tendi discovers that the Verugament are actually searching for a breeding ground and synthesising the hull's carbon for a mass breeding event, giving them a believable scientific excuse for being there, and saving Mariner from almost certain incarceration.