Anything which scientists do not understand, they name it "DARK". And many researchers name their stuff Dark-blah-blah just to make it fancy.

The C-DEBI platform clearly states its definition and relevance. It would be illogical to connect it to particle physics.

Dear Anindita Das,

I agree with you that there are many examples across science of one term (to be more precise: one or more "word[s]") referring to more or less different things in different domains of research. This is why any definitions of terms (e.g., concepts, names etc.) should always state very clearly to which realm they apply/pertain. Any definition - per definition (! :-)) - only applies to the realm/area stated in that definition. Such a realm or area may be a specific type of writing product (e.g., article, book etc.), a whole discipline or sub-discipline (or any other sub-divisions of a scientific field) or, indeed, a precisely demarcated spatial area and/or period of time (I hesitate to use the term "space-time" her in order not to stir further confusion... :-)). So, in your case, I'd advise the following: If you're about to venture into the field of astrobiology coming from the geoscientific background you're describing, it should suffice - in my view - to just clearly state which type of "Dark Energy" you are referring to. Personally, I'd recommend to confine the use of the term "Dark Energy" to physics and cosmology. In contrast, I would prefer to call the biological phenomema you are studying beneath the ocean floor and in the Earth's crust "deep, 'dark' microbial energy". So, do not capitalize it there, put it in quotation marks and make clear that it refers to microorganisms and that the term "dark" is simply used because - to the human eye - it is, indeed, pretty dark down there (this discussion shows that it may actually turn out to be quite an "anthropocentric" term!). But to finally take on your intellectual (terminological/semantic) challenge, here are a few more reflections on the matter itself: As you know, Dark Energy in physics refers to a proposed physical property of the universe as a whole, related closely to Einstein et al.'s cosmological constant. So it operates on VERY large spatio-temporal scales and is hypothesized to be important to such fundamental cosmological structures and processes as the early inflation and later expansion of the universe, Big Bang and Big Crunch theories etc. However, on a lighter note (perhaps appropriate to these final two days of the year): If you were to ever detect life on exoplanets in such places or conditions you are referring to from your geoscientific research here on (in!) planet Earth and if - in a parallel, but unrelated development - physicists were to find definitive evidence for what today they call Dark Energy, you may very well be justified to state that you have connected these two vastly different phenomena, both called by the same name, by looking at different spatio-temporal scales in the long-term evolution of the universe :-)

On that note, all the best for you and many thanks again for your question,

Julius