Keywords: astrobiology, exoplanets, habitability

Abstract: We expect that exoplanets in the habitable zone of their host stars will experience a large diversity of seasonal cycles, ranging from negligible to extreme. The consequences of both end-member scenarios for habitability and life are not well understood, but recent work suggests that extreme seasonality could increase biological productivity and amplify biosignature detectability through its impacts on ocean stratification. This talk will explore several dimensions of habitability, from the prospects for an independent origin of life to the likelihood of biospheric progression towards animal-grade complexity. This talk will also discuss how seasonality may affect the relationship between biosignature production and biosignature detectability with future telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.